Updated 2.30pm
The government shut down a Mosta road illegally for a press conference on cleaning arterial roads that was "invaded" by Labour party candidates, the local council charged on Thursday.
Mayor Keith Cassar said the Mosta council was invited to a press conference by Parliamentary Secretary Deo Debattista, only to find the road was closed and blocked by two government cars.
The council had not issued a permit for the road at Triq Dawret il-Wied to be shut, he said.
"On top of this, what was supposed to be a government press conference ended up being invaded by Labour party candidates for the Mosta council," the PN mayor said.
The mayor and another councillor said they asked the parliamentary secretary to request that Labour party candidates move away from the press conference. Dr Debattista, however, refused, the mayor added.
The mayor and the councillor said they then opted not to take part in the press conference, and criticised the lack of separation between the local and central government.
The council said it believed central and local government should not include partisan politics, adding national authority should be there for all residents.
Political maturity calls for people to distinguish between local and national interests and partisan ones, the council said.
During this legislature, the Mosta council never used people’s resources to push political agendas and it was not about to start now, it added.
Speaking to the Times of Malta, Dr Debattista said he was "shocked" by the Mosta local council's reaction.
Vehicles placed as part of the press conference impeded traffic flow, but the road had not been officially shut down, he said.
Asked whether he asked Labour council candidates to move aside, Dr Debattista said he would never ask people to move away.
"As if I would ask people to leave," he said. “That would almost be arrogant- you can’t dictate what people should do," he added.
Asked if Labour party council candidates were informed of the event, he said the press call was no secret and he did not know if they were informed from others.