With their council futures hanging precariously in the balance, Sliema local councillors met yesterday in an attempt to iron out their disagreements and keep the council ticking over.
We are one family, why are you trying to bring partisan politics into it?
A passionate – and at times rowdy – meeting lasted just over an hour and ended with a 6-2 (one abstention) vote against disbanding the council and in favour of providing Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi with a council work plan stretching to March 2013.
In a letter dated January 4, the Prime Minister had informed Sliema councillors that, unless they sorted out their internal issues within 10 days, the government would disband the local council.
Mayor Joanna Gonzi’s plea for councillors to be respectful of each other and refraining from personal attacks was initially heeded but, as the minutes ticked away, any semblance of order melted away, replaced by a gaggle of councillors trying to yell above one another.
There did, however, appear to be consensus that many of the problems associated with the local council were not down to councillors themselves but rather due to an inexperienced former executive secretary.
“The local council has taken hundreds of decisions, many of them unanimously. Problems lay with the council’s administration, most notably its former secretary,” deputy mayor Cyrus Engerer argued.
His criticism was echoed by several other councillors, from his Labour Party colleague Nicolai Gauci to independent (but former PN) councillor Sandra Camilleri.
Even Nationalist councillor Julian Galea – who, together with PN colleague Edward Cuschieri, subsequently voted in favour of disbanding the council – conceded that the council was running much more smoothly since Paul Gatt had assumed the secretarial reigns.
The thankless task of defending the former secretary fell to Mayor Gonzi. “You cannot pin everything on the former secretary, especially since she’s not here to defend herself,” the Mayor told councillors. Roars of disapproval surged back.
“It’s a fact!” insisted Mr Gauci, as Yves Bobby Calì retorted that “none of us is saying anything we didn’t tell her to her face.”
The Prime Minister’s letter to the council made reference to an internal audit report published by the Director for Local Governance, which had recommended the dissolution of the council as its operations were being disrupted by criminal proceedings being faced by four councillors.
But many councillors insisted yesterday that they had never seen the report. “The Prime Minister’s letter is based on a report this council has never even seen,” Martin Debono protested.
His independent counterpart Mr Calì agreed. “How can I fix things unless I know what it is that I’m doing wrong,” he said, his arms flying up in exasperation.
“Other local councils meet 16 times over a three-year period. We’ve met up 84 times!” exclaimed Patrick Pace, a former-PN-turned-independent councillor.
Mr Debono acknowledged that council members argued often but put that down to “the nature of us Slimiżi”.
Not that defence of the council’s work was unanimous. Mr Cuschieri said: “We began with eight PN councillors. Now we have three. That’s why the council is jammed.”
It was all too much for Mrs Camilleri, who had resigned her PN post in protest over the party’s ousting of former mayor Nikki Dimech. “You are out of order sir! We are one family, why are you trying to bring partisan politics into it?” Visibly upset, she stood up and made as though to leave. A moment later, she was back in her seat.
To Mr Galea’s eyes, other councillors’ protestations betrayed a fear of the ballot box. “What are you afraid of? The people who elected us no longer want us. Residents have clearly lost faith in the current council.”
Mayor Gonzi reluctantly agreed. “I can’t say I’m surprised by the letter. Who can say, hand on heart, that the local council is working?”
PL councillor Marianne Aquilina took offence at the Mayor’s words. “We could have voted to remove you, but we didn’t. That shows integrity. Why don’t you say that?”
Soon enough, the squabbling died down and order (of sorts) was re-established. It was decided that the council would send the Prime Minister a reply disagreeing with his letter, affixing the 2012-2013 work plan presented by Mr Engerer as well as the meeting’s unapproved minutes.
And then, with a knock on Mayor Gonzi’s gavel, the meeting was over. A collegial atmosphere returned to the room, as councillors chatted and bade each other goodbye until the council’s next meeting on Wednesday. Just another day at the Sliema local council offices.