(Adds OPM reaction)

Birżebbuġa residents will be unable to receive any services from the offices of their local council as from Monday after a unanimous decision by the council to work behind closed doors until the Office of the Prime Minister approves the appointment of a new executive secretary.

The council selected a person to fill the post four months ago and requested approval for employment from the Local Councils Department two months ago. The acting secretary retired last week.

Mayor Joseph Farrugia told timesofmalta.com that the council's would be calling for work as usual but they would not be answering phone calls and the doors of the council offices would be closed, meaning desk services would not be provided. People normally call at the offices to request or fill forms, pay fines and lodge complaints or requests for services.

The staff would answer e-mails and faxes.

Mr Farrugia said it was impossible for a council to operate without a council secretary. He has now written to the Director of Local Government Department informing him of the council’s decision.

In a reaction, the Office of the Prime Minister said the Local Councils Department had requested the council to submit evidence that the person it had nominated enjoyed managerial or executive experience as required in a legal notice regulating such appointments.

The department was still awaiting this reference letter to ensure that the person nominated by the council was suitably qualified to undertake the obligations which the post entailed.

Furthermore, until an executive secretary was appointed, the department was prepared to provide an acting executive secretary, as had been done in other cases.

"The council's decision to close its offices is not justified since the council has the fill complement of other employees" the OPM said.