Vote of all six PN councillors crucial

All six remaining Nationalist members of the Sliema local council must show up for this afternoon’s meeting and vote in favour of a no confidence motion if the PN is to succeed in replacing mayor Nikki Dimech by his deputy, Joanna Gonzi.

Sources said Dr Gonzi would be returning today, interrupting her holiday midway, just in time for the meeting when a motion of no confidence in Mr Dimech will be debated and voted upon. She is then likely to fly back out as soon as possible.

Patrick Pace, who has been on holiday for a month, was reported to have returned yesterday but has so far been unreachable for comment. Sources from both sides of the vote claim he is on their side.

For the motion to pass it must gain the support of the majority of councillors in office, in this case, at least six out of the 11 members. Thus, if all six PN councillors do not vote for the motion, it will fail, even if Labour councillors abstain and the motion wins the support of the relative majority of councillors.

Mr Dimech was on Tuesday charged with soliciting a bribe and reviling a public official. He was released on bail after pleading “definitely not guilty” to the charges.

The 31-year-old mayor, who was elected through the endorsement of his mentor, MP Robert Arrigo, was kicked out of the PN after he told the police in a statement he had asked for a bribe. Mr Dimech has insisted he had been coerced in making such a statement after suffering a panic attack while in police custody and was not given access to his inhaler. He has vowed to stay on as an independent mayor.

His expulsion from the party irked another PN councillor, Sandra Camilleri, who claimed she was forced to sign the motion of no confidence by PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier, who rejected the allegation as “unfounded”. Ms Camilleri has resigned from the PN.

Another PN councillor who had reportedly also claimed he was forced to sign the motion has denied this was the case. “These are all lies. It’s not true at all,” Edward Cuschieri insisted, referring to reports in the press.

When contacted, Mr Cuschieri said Dr Borg Olivier had left him free to decide whether or not to sign the motion and he was upset about the articles that claimed otherwise.

However, Mr Cuschieri was somewhat indecisive about how he would vote. He admitted he did not know “the full story” and was not sure if Mr Dimech was guilty or not.

“I will support the motion because I already signed it,” Mr Cuschieri said, only to add later he would “probably vote (for)” but would decide on the day.