The mayor of Għasri Daniel Attard has publicly resigned from the Nationalist Party, a day after sharing an image of himself meeting Prime Minister Robert Abela during a visit to the Gozo village. 

In a letter to PN secretary general Michael Piccinino, which he posted to Facebook, Attard said he would continue to serve on the local council.  

"I will remain accessible and loyal to the people of Ghasri who elected me and whom I love, as I have been for the past nine years in which I have served as mayor of this dear village," he said.

Attard said he was "looking ahead with positivity" and thanked all those who had shown him faith. 

He gave no reason for his resignation, but the move comes a day after he publicly shared an image of himself warmly greeting the Prime Minister in Għasri, where Abela was campaigning. 

With Attard's resignation, the PN has lost control of the Għasri local council, where it now holds two seats to the Labour Party's two. 

Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech has in recent days had to field questions about the party's electoral candidates withdrawing from the race after four MPs - Clyde Puli, Kristy Debono, Mario Galea, and Claudio Grech - announced they would not be contesting. 

While he said he could not exclude further withdrawals, Grech said those who had withdrawn would not necessarily be ending their involvement with the party.