Sliema Mayor denies she is unreachable, plans to convene meeting next week
Sliema Mayor Johanna Gonzi said this afternoon that she will convene a meeting of the council probably on Monday to discuss and reply to a formal notice issued by the prime minister warning that the council would be dissolved unless long-standing problems were resolved.
Reacting to comments given earlier to timesofmalta.com by councillor Cyrus Engerer, Dr Gonzi regretted that he had tried to give the impression that she was somewhat unreachable or hiding.
"I was in contact with the council secretary yesterday evening and this morning. I received just one phone call from councillor Sandra Aquilina late yesterday, which I did not answer because the phone was silent, and two calls in quick succession from Mr Engerer this morning at around 10.38 which I could not answer because I was in theatre," Dr Gonzi said.
"I am certainly not hiding, I am in Malta and I am working," Dr Gonzi said.
Earlier , Mr Engerer said Sliema councillors and the council's executive secretary have been unable to contact the Mayor since the prime minister's dissolution warning yesterday, and they have now taken it upon themselves to convene an urgent meeting.
He said today that he and other councillors, as well as the secretary, had made various efforts to contact the Mayor, by phone and e-mail, in order to ask her to convene the meeting.
Once there was no reply, five of the councillors, in terms of the law, wrote to the executive secretary asking him to call the meeting instead.
Mr Engerer said that as far as he knew, the Mayor is in Malta.
In the formal notice yesterday, the council was given 10 days to iron out long-standing issues or face dissolution.
Mr Engerer said he could not understand why this warning was issued now, when the council was starting to function properly, and not a year ago, when the problems were at their height.
He suspected there could be other motives, especially as it would be more convenient for the Nationalist Party to have the election in Sliema held now, giving it back its majority ahead of the general election.
The PN lost its comfortable majority as several of its councillors turned independent amid various allegations and court cases. The council, however, is still presided by a Nationalist Mayor Gonzi, who succeeded Niki Dimech.
Mr Engerer said it was only ethical that the prime minister's notice was acted upon by the council with urgency, hence the need for the meeting, which is likely to be held tomorrow.
He said that most of the councillors agreed on the holding of the urgent meeting. The letter was signed by himself, Nicolai Gauci (PL) Marianna Aquilina (PL) , Sandra Camilleri, independent former PN and Patrick Pace, independent former PN, because they were available to quickly sign the request.
The acting executive secretary of the Sliema council, Paul Gatt, categorically denied he made various efforts to contact the mayor.
"Today I did not send any emails to the mayor except for the notice of the meeting to be held on Monday 9th.
"There was also just one unsuccessful telephone call from my end to the mayor following the receipt of the request for the urgent meeting. I do realise that, the nature of the mayor’s profession does not always make it possible for her to answer the telephone calls immediately and, therefore, I sent her an SMS to call me later which she did within a few minutes."
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Dennis Zammit
Jan 5th, 21:37
Let's go for the election of the Sliema Local Council and reinstate the correct balance.
Then we will see if Ms Cyrus Engerer will be elected.
Robert Pace Bonello
Jan 5th, 20:40
I have personally written several emails to the Mayor complaining about several of the many issues which the residents are gacing on a daily basis. I have never had any response. Upon calling personally and asking for the mayor I was always told she was at hospital. Sliema is facing many problems including parking abuses, lack of cleanliness, construction and other problems affecting the quality of life of the Residents. It is obvious that Dr Gonzi has no time for this job and she should never have accepted the position. Her term of office is disastrous to the Residents as well as to her political aspirations. What is surprising is why has it taken so long to dissolve the Council.
Timothy Cachia
Jan 6th, 08:51
Trying to contact the Mayor won't solve problems. It's the council as a collective group that takes decisions. If the council as a group is not ready to work for the good of Sliema, then they should just pack up and leave.
Peter Murray
Jan 5th, 19:52
Don't be too hard on Mayoress Gonzi for being "unreachable" as most -virtually all-Mayor's of Local Council's are similarly elusive and unaccountable.Dissolve them all I SAY!
Alexander Pace Gouder.
Jan 5th, 19:30
If the Council is disolved I suggest that a group of Slimizi who really want to work for the good of Sliema ( and there are quite a number)join forces and effect a block vote with the name and slogan"GHAL GID TA' TAS-SLIEMA." These may be with different Political Views etc. Then maybe the Sliema Council will move forward as if elected they will have as the saying goes IL-Muftih f'idejhom off course to do all that is really GOOD for Sliema without any Political party putting pressure on these members. UNITE. Elect those councillers who have really worked for Sliema plus this new group if effected. NEW BLOOD will and may give SLIEMA a Healthy Council.
An Cachia
Jan 5th, 19:03
Dear Dr Joanna Gonzi,
If I where you I would just dissolve the council and move on. You are far too intelligent and bubbly to be mingling with these type of people. When you have one person who s personal aims go beyond serving the people who elected him, another allegedly caught committing fraud, and the others not ready to support you cause they are too blinkered to realise, then I would personally call it a day. Pity, cause between them all they do not come close to match your capacity both as a human being and as a councillor.
John Attard
Jan 5th, 18:45
Dr Gonzi has no reason not to convene a meeting of the Local Council......bongu....issa tridu tigu ghal meeting , ara vera qiskom kamaleonti ta! Personalment rajt zminijiet meta xebghat tigri warajkom ghal meetings.......u min ghax siefer u minn ax ma jistghax u min ghax apposta......ghax ma tgihdhux li misskom tisthu.......
Dr Joanna Gonzi.......keep it up .......dawn kamaleonti kollha!
Ivan M. Dingli
Jan 5th, 18:42
Correct me if I’m wrong but I was under the impression that the Mayor of any local council is the only member on a payroll. If this is the case, how can the Mayor postpone urgent matters such as this one in order to attend theatre?
Mr m. borg (slm)
Jan 5th, 18:36
There is another way to solve the Sliema council problem. GonziPN has lost its majority so those who form the majority should kick out the mayoress and elect a new one, with their majority they can get things moving again even if the gonzipn candidates do not play along.
E. Azzopardi
Jan 5th, 18:03
You what Sliema residents have as their so called "council". Dissolve it IMMEDIATLEY. It is in totally disarray.
Sandra Camilleri
Jan 5th, 17:58
I confirm that I tried several times yesterday evening to contact the Mayor but there was NO reply on her homeline or mobile.
5 councilors are calling for an urgent meeting to discuss this notice received from Prime Minister yesterday afternoon and presented also on the MEDIA. Unfortunately it seems that at the time of writing - the next meeting
was called for 9th January when this notice signed was for 6th January. This meeting is of utter importance due to contents of notice received and must be dealt with IMMEDIATELY.
Several councilors have been working hard at our jobs to help our residents - as this is our main task - to HELP the residents.
Regarding the comments from certain people - do not blame the councilors regarding rubbish, dogs dirt etc.
blame the people who do NOT care about looking after the environment. The council has published several times notices regarding garbage collection BUT no one reads or listens. STOP blaming us COUNCILORS - after all this is voluntary work.
silvio loporto
Jan 5th, 18:49
The" publishiing several times of notices regarding garbage collection etc" is not enough , you have to see that people "do listen". If you can't enforce the rules than it is no use "publishing notices"
The easiest way out is always blaiming somebody else.
I think we are the town with the highest number of wardens, most of whose efforts are issuing tickets for parking offences. Can you give us the number of tickets issued for example,for putting out garbage bags
overnight,even on Sunday night?
The fact that you do it as voluntary work,does not make you less responsible for the very bad state that Sliema is in. After all no body forced you into this "job".
I agree that the present council should be dissolved and we Sliema residents should only reelect the three or four present members who are trying hard to be of service to our community. ( we all know who they are)
Mr Albert Dimech
Jan 5th, 17:22
Next week???? Does she know she's only got 10 days? Where is her sense of urgency?? The meeting should have been called immediately. Well, it all fuels the suspicion that this is a well planned political move.
Pamela Hansen
Jan 5th, 17:01
Whatever their politics the Sliema council is failing miserably. Dirty streets, domestic rubbish not picked daily and dog mess everywhere.
A. Tabone
Jan 5th, 17:43
Aaww, poor Sliemizi. Don't you worry, I'm sure government will repave all streets and all pavements for the umpteenth time as soon as possible. As well as remove all of that nasty poo the instant it is produced.
The rest of the island - and particularly the abandoned south, can go to the dogs for all it cares.
John Attard
Jan 5th, 19:01
Ovvja ta li thallas tiehu hux........issa ndunajt!
Alexander Pace Gouder.
Jan 5th, 16:19
I have always wished to contest Council Elections for St.Julians but I never wanted to contest under a Political Party. Sorry to say ,but most if not all our councils are Politically motivated on one side (PN)or the other.(PL) For St.Julians a candidate has to get quite a good amount of votes to be elected and some of the councillers, as happens in other towns and villages get elected after inheriting votes from those candidates already elected. If contesting as Independent you can get the quota less say 10votes and remain stuck with the same votes for say 10counts and then get eleminated as cannot inherit. I know many who wish to contest as Independent but they all agree with what I have just said. WHAT A PITY that Our Councils are POLITICAL (MEDNESS) RUN AND POLLUTED BY POLITICAL THINKING. (i.e. by what the Party Says or suggests).
Lawrence Fenech
Jan 5th, 17:23
Someone in the past had insisted that councils should not be politically motivated to give serious individuals a chance to work for their town but Gonzi wanted them for his political machine and even there he went "zmerc".
Mr m. borg (slm)
Jan 5th, 18:33
@Lawrence Fenech do you find it so hard to give credit where credit is due, it was Dr Alfred Sant who believed tha local councils should not be politicised.
It was EFA who did not agree and went "zmerc" whilst gonzi insists on going "zmerc"
Lawrence Cardona
Jan 5th, 15:48
This is only a tiny part of the problems we have in Malta if i was the Prime Minister i would ask the President to disove the Parlament to not only the Sliema Local Council
John Attard
Jan 5th, 19:02
Prosit. habib...imma b xiber imnieher se tibqa!
John Micallef
Jan 5th, 15:31
The sign on the bottom, left hand side of the picture says it all...
John Micallef
Jan 5th, 15:30
If Dr. Alfred Sant was right about one thing, it was his premonition that local councils would end up being glorified mini-governments (or something to that effect...).
Mr m. borg (slm)
Jan 5th, 18:30
Dr Alfred Sant was right about a lot of things, the local councils for one.
The funny thing is that he was not appreciated even by some elements in his own party, but then who is having the last laugh?
While we struggle daily to get by, Dr Sant is gingerly writing one successful book after another, most probably thanking his stars that he's not leading this island of morons.
C Muscat
Jan 5th, 15:12
Sewwa jghid il-Malti..Il-Huta minn rasha tinten!!
Joseph Calleja
Jan 5th, 15:08
Is this a sign of dirty politics?
Ms Maria Vella
Jan 5th, 14:53
Thank god for Cyrus Engerer
John Scerri
Jan 5th, 14:47
It's all got to do with team work ....When there are members within a team who are not team players , no matter how many attempts are made to reorganise, reshuffle , reunite and revive a team which is already fragmented because of political colour and creed, political PARTY interference, lack of proper accountability .
A local council is one whole united chain of team members and no matter how large a majority might be it will ONLY be as good as the WEAKEST LINK .
Lawrence Fenech
Jan 5th, 14:42
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
Mr Marcel Dingli
Jan 5th, 14:16
U dan il Kunsilliera, ahseb u ara ic cittadini Slimizi. Try St Pauls Bay or Girgenti councillors, who knows, you might strike it lucky.