The parliamentary secretary responsible for local councils, Stefan Buontempo, has decided to boycott a meeting for mayors planned for this Saturday by the Local Councils’ Association, the Times of Malta is informed.

In an e-mail sent to all local councils and seen by this newspaper, Dr Buontempo’s office informed mayors that the parliamentary secretary had turned down an invitation to attend the meeting as he was not being given the opportunity to address participants.

Dr Buontempo’s personal assistant informed local councils that unfortunately the parliamentary secretary won’t be making it to the meeting as “it is not normal that the Honourable is invited for such an activity and is not at the same time invited to speak during such an activity”, she wrote.

Dr Buontempo’s personal assistant also said that “the parliamentary secretary asked me to inform you that his door is always open to all those who wish to speak with him”.

When contacted, the president of the Local Councils Association, Labour councillor Marc Sant said that he was surprised with the parliamentary secretary’s reaction.

There were occasions where they spoke and others where they didn’t. Why do these politicians always expect to speak?

“The agenda has been set whereby, this time, politicians are only invited to attend but not to make any formal address to those present. He [Dr Buontempo] feels that he should only attend in order to speak,” Dr Sant said.

Asked whether in similar past meetings, ministers or parliamentary secretaries responsible for local councils had made speeches, Dr Sant said: “There were occasions where they spoke and others where they didn’t. Why do these politicians always expect to speak?”

Sources close to the association told this newspaper that the relationship between the Local Councils’ Association and the parliamentary secretary is “not very rosy” and that there is bad blood between Dr Buontempo and the president of the Local Councils’ Association even though they belong to the same political party.

“Let’s say that [Dr] Buontempo and [Dr] Sant are not the best of friends,” a Labour mayor told this newspaper. According to the agenda of the next majors’ meeting, it is not just Dr Buontempo that has been invited to attend but not to give a speech. Attempts to contact Dr Buontempo were unsuccessful.

Shadow minister David Agius and Alternattiva’s representative Carmel Cacopardo were also invited to attend without being given the floor.

ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com