All local council elections will be postponed to coincide with the 2019 European Parliament elections under proposals the government is planning to put forward.

The government’s intention was confirmed by Justice Minister Owen Bonnici yesterday after the idea was floated by the Prime Minister in the wake of last May’s European Parliament elections.

Joseph Muscat had said the move would save costs, improve turnout in local council elections and address what he described as “election fatigue”.

It would, however, mean extending the term of a number of councils to seven years, having last been subject to elections in 2012.

Environmentalists said it would give an advantage to the hunting lobby

Yesterday, Dr Bonnici denied that the intention behind the move was to have a lower turnout in the referendum over the abolition of spring hunting, which would likely have been held on the same day as local council elections next year.

This criticism had been made by environmentalists who said it would give an advantage to the hunting lobby, which has strong links to the party in government.

“The two issues are completely separate as an abrogative referendum is regulated by a different law,” Dr Bonnici said.

Speculation that such a proposal was in the offing was sparked last Tuesday in Parliament when Dr Bonnici declared his intention to present the first reading of amendments to the Local Councils Act. Though no further details were given, this prompted a strong reaction from the Opposition.

Speaking during Thursday evening’s adjournment, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil told Parliament that such a move would undermine democracy and smack of dictatorship.

On Wednesday this newspaper had sent questions about the matter to the Parliamentary Secretariat for Local Councils but no reply was received.

The issue was then raised yesterday afternoon during a news conference on amendments to the criminal code, which was addressed by Dr Bonnici who is also responsible for local government.

While confirming that the government was planning to make the proposal, he was tight lipped over whether it would be incorporated in the amendments and he skirted questions over the intention behind it.

“I welcome the fact that the proposal floated by the Prime Minister back in May has generated a lot of interest and have noted the points made by the Opposition leader,” he said.

“Once the debate [about this issue] is over, the government will be in a position to present its proposals to Parliament,” he added.

Probed about the criticism levelled by the Opposition, Dr Bonnici downplayed the concerns, remarking that “as with everything there were arguments in favour and against”.

Reiterating the arguments made by the Prime Minister, he pointed out that one round of local elections costs the country up to €2.5 million.

In Parliament, Dr Busuttil had shot down the financial argument, saying democracy could not be treated as a waste of money.

He also pointed out that the measure would go against the spirit of granting 16-year-olds the right to vote in local elections. By the time they voted to elect their local government they would be 21, Dr Busuttil argued.

Even though the government enjoyed a big majority in Parliament, it could not tamper with elections as if nothing happened. There should be regular elections and someone elected for a certain term should not have that term renewed automatically, Dr Busuttil said.

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