The Democratic Party on Monday will be voting alongside the government in parliament for the setting up of a Regional Development Authority for Gozo, breaking ranks with the Nationalist Party, which is to vote against.

The PD said on Monday that the authority was in line with its vision for Gozo, reducing the ability of the minister responsible for Gozo to run it like his or her own personal fiefdom.

But the Nationalist Party argued last month that the authority would be appointed and controlled by the minister.

PN leader Adrian Delia told a press conference that the PN wanted to see the setting up a regional council for Gozo that would be elected directly by Gozitans and would have executive powers on all that affected Gozo and its development.

The PD in its statement on Monday said it hoped that the Labour government, "now notoriously famous for its toxic tentacles in supposedly autonomous state institutions" would give the new authority for Gozo the space to deliver what it had been created to produce.

"Legislating is useless unless the will exists to give life to that legislation,” stated party leader Godfrey Farrugia.