Sliema’s beleaguered local council is to be dissolved, following months of trouble, infighting and councillors resigning from their respective political parties.
Dissolution is the only way forward. The people have lost faith in too many councillors
Deputy mayor Cyrus Engerer broke the news on his Facebook page yesterday, saying a council election will be called on March 10.
A government spokesman subsequently confirmed the news, saying the process leading to the council’s formal dissolution was under way.
Dissolution has been on the cards since the beginning of the year, when the council was given 10 days to resolve internal disputes or be terminated.
Following an urgent council meeting characterised by bickering councillors, six voted against disbanding the council and in favour of giving the Prime Minister a work plan stretching to March 2013. Two councillors voted in favour and one abstained.
But the work plan evidently did not suffice, with the Department for Local Governance recommending the council’s dissolution regardless.
“The truth is the Nationalist Party lost its majority of seats in Sliema, rendering it unable to issue the usual favours to Sliema Nationalists before the general election,” Mr Engerer wrote on his Facebook wall.
“If it is true that the council should be dissolved because of disagreements among councillors, why shouldn’t Parliament be dissolved when there is much more disagreement among Nationalist MPs?”
Mr Engerer stands as an independent councillor after resigning from the PN and joining the Labour Party last July. He is one of five Sliema councillors elected on a PN ticket who have since left the party.
A response to Mr Engerer’s comments was soon forthcoming from PN councillor Julian Galea.
“I’m amazed at Mr Engerer’s position, considering his prominent role in leading independent and PL councillors to miss council meetings in order to prevent it from reaching a quorum,” Mr Galea said.
“His actions were one of the main reasons things reached this stage in the first place.”
He, however, felt that dissolution was inevitable. “Dissolution is the only way forward. The people have lost faith in too many councillors.”
When contacted, Mr Engerer insisted the council had not stopped functioning and had even held more meetings than usual last year. He said the council also met twice this year where it took a number of decisions.
He said the disagreements claimed by the Prime Minister were not unusual between the various factions.
Mayor Joanna Gonzi, who had been appointed to the council’s top seat following a motion of no confidence in previous incumbent Nikki Dimech, was not available for comment.
Sliema’s current council has had a turbulent couple of years, with Mr Dimech charged with corruption and a number of councillors the subject of police investigations.
When is a council dissolved
According to the Local Councils Act, the President can dissolve a council on the advice of the Prime Minister if:
• An Auditor General report finds persistent breach of financial responsibilities.
• The council persistently disregards the provisions of the law.
• There is a formal notice given by the minister responsible (now Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici).
• There is lack of agreement in electing a mayor.
• There is lack of agreement in approving annual estimates.
• If a board appointed under the Inquiries Act recommends dissolution.