Fgura mayor Darren Marmarà stepped down yesterday, minutes before facing a motion of no confidence by fellow Labour councillors.
Mr Marmarà, who said he and his family had received "threats" over the last few days, specified that he was resigning as mayor but would keep serving the party as a Fgura councillor.
The no confidence motion had the full backing of the Labour Party, although no details of what lies behind the issue were forthcoming. Asked to give reasons, a spokesman said Labour had nothing to add on the matter.
Even after a meeting yesterday, Labour councillors who complained about the "lack of serenity" within the council, refused to reply to any questions on the matter.
In a statement outside the council offices, Mr Marmarà said he was stepping down with his head held high as he had always served the locality with honesty and integrity. He said he had tried to work with all the members of the council but some councillors just would not cooperate.
"Independently of what the other councillors had in mind, I have no option but to do what is in the best interest of Fgura. I met the deputy leader of the Labour Party for party affairs, Toni Abela, and we understood each other's position. Despite what other people do to me, my loyalty to the party remains," he said.
Referring to allegations about the way he operated, he said he had recently won a case before the Local Councils Board of Governance, filed against him by former Labour mayor Anthony Degiovanni. The board, he said, threw out all four complaints.
Mr Marmarà did not take any questions from the press.
When the council meeting started under the chairmanship of Mr Degiovanni, now deputy mayor, Labour councillor Saviour Camilleri withdrew the motion following the resignation. The meeting was then adjourned to Wednesday for the election of the new mayor and deputy mayor.
The motion of no confidence in Mr Marmarà over "lack of serenity" within the council was filed by Mr Degiovanni and councillors Saviour Camilleri, Rita Cutajar, Byron Camilleri and Pierre Dalli. Mr Dalli's nephew, Byron Camilleri, is being nominated as the next mayor.
The PL said on Thursday that after Mr Marmarà refused to resign, it was left with no other option but to back the no-confidence motion. This was being done for valid reasons in the interest of the locality. It did not say what the reasons were.
After the resignation yesterday, the party thanked Mr Marmarà for understanding the situation and for his declaration that he would continue working as a councillor. The PL said that at no time did it want to cast a bad light on the outgoing mayor and hoped he would also continue working within other party structures. The party urged all councillors to continue working in Fgura's best interests.