Nationalist councillor Desirei Grech has been confirmed as mayor of Birkirkara for a further temporary term of three months after a stalemate persisted in the local council on the appointment of a mayor.

The PN won most votes in the locality during the June elections but both the PN and the PL won an equal number of council seats, with another seat going to an independent candidate, Kaylocke Buhagiar a former Labour councillor.

Buhagiar has refused to support either side for the appointment of a mayor, seeking the post himself.  

In July Birkirkara's most popular Labour councillor, Yana Borg Debono Grech,  blocked a party plan to nominate  Buhagiar as town mayor.

The Labour Party revealed earlier this month that it had offered Buhagiar the mayorship for two-and-half years, half the usual term, but he turned that down.

Birkirkara council met last week and again on Tuesday to vote for the appointment of a mayor, and no breakthrough was achieved.

The Local Councils Act provides that when a council is unable to agree on the appointment of a mayor, the candidate who would have won most voters from the party winning the most votes would hold the post for three months, which can be extended for further periods of three months if the stalemate persists.

Desirei Grech in a Facebook post said she would continue to work for all the people of the locality, focused on embellishment and maintenance and improving the quality of life.