AD expects good showing in local council elections

Alternattiva Demokratika has expressed its confidence in a positive result in next Saturday's local elections in Swieqi, Attard and Hamrun.

Its "winning" team was made up of international secretary Ralph Cassar, Joanna Bugeja and Benji Psaila, both young and qualified candidates, who could contribute to improve the level of discussion in local councils, AD chairman Harry Vassallo said.

He was speaking about the Green Party's priorities in the local elections at a press conference in Sliema, accompanied by the three AD local election candidates.

During the campaign, AD has focused on "concrete" issues, including parking, the need for more open spaces and a greater involvement of local civil society organisations.

Its candidates were capable of combining local issues with a European vision, based on the values of sustainability and social justice, Dr Vassallo said.

He reaffirmed AD's commitment to work for an improvement in the quality of life of residents living in Swieqi, Attard and Hamrun.

Underlining the advantages of voting AD in the next local elections, he said it was an investment that would yield positive advantages for the residents. Green Party candidates would also bring AD's international contacts with the European green political family.

"Through our international contacts we will be able to bridge the gap between the local and the global in an increasingly globalised world," Dr Vassallo said.

The party's candidates were finding an unprecedented level of support for AD, he said.

"Our candidates will rise above the partisan pique, which characterises Maltese politics in general."

Other political parties needed a wake-up call when it came to the local council level, he said, criticising the manner in which the mayors from both parties had refused to allow the setting up of an independent tribunal to decide on cases where contracts of council secretaries were not renewed for no valid reason.

Dr Vassallo praised the manner in which the mayors of Floriana and Birzebbuga opposed the decision of their fellow mayors.