The Floriana local council insists it, not the government, has the final say on whether to issue a permit for the Isle of MTV on the Granaries.
In a three-hour meeting on Wednesday, the majority of council members agreed that the law was on their side and reserved the right not to grant permits for the popular June music event. Two members, however, said they were not clear on what the law said but would abide by it nonetheless.
The concert – seven editions have been held here so far – is widely recognised as the island’s premier pop music event, attracting top global artistes, thousands of fans and international promotion for Malta.
He would only consider refusing permits if certain conditions were not met
Its future, however, appeared to be threatened after deputy mayor Matthew Paris told this newspaper he was considering refusing to issue the necessary permits because the government had “abandoned” the locality’s New Year’s Eve festivities.
Parliamentary Secretary José Herrera was quick to insist that councils could not halt national festivities. “It definitely cannot refuse to issue permits for a national event. If such things depended on local councils, several such occasions would not go ahead,” he said, noting that permits were issued by the Police Commissioner and not local councils. This, he added, meant the council could voice its concerns but not stop the event from taking place.
The Floriana council reacted, saying it had always been responsible for issuing permits for previous events and had even been approached by the event organisers to reserve the Granaries for this year’s concert.
Mayor Nigel Holland also questioned whether the MTV attraction was a national event, insisting it was a private profit-making endeavour and not a national holiday or similar event.
He noted he did not share Mr Paris’s stand against issuing permits for the concert and insisted he would only consider refusing them if certain conditions were not met. These included enhanced support for the council, both during and after the event, and the introduction of more mobile toilets.
The council is due to meet with the Malta Tourism Authority next week to discuss the matter further.