MP Mariah Meli rejects ‘stepping stone’ claim over mayor role
Meli, who was embroiled in a council controversy in Għargħur, will now serve in parliament as an MP
Newly elected MP and outgoing Għargħur mayor Mariah Meli has defended taking over the town’s council despite her Labour Party winning just over a third of the vote.
Meli was among the key figures in the Għargħur saga that saw then-PN councillor Francesca Attard resign from the party and vote with PL councillors to oust PN mayor Helen Gauci. With the newly independent Attard backing a PL takeover, Meli was appointed mayor in May 2025.
That change meant that despite the Nationalist Party winning 62 per cent of the vote in the local council election, the Labour Party, which received 38 per cent of the vote, controls the mayorship.
During the year that she was mayor, Meli said she had helped get the council’s financial position in order, including through a repayment plan with the previous year’s creditors
Asked whether she believed those manoeuvres were a fair way to take control of the PN-leaning town, Meli said: “More important than fairness or numbers is the fact that the PN had a certain number of seats on the council, but those seats ceased to belong to the party when one of its councillors became an independent.”
“Democracy and the law look at seats. Decisions are taken by council members, and the decision of no confidence was taken by the members of the council... those same members gave me a vote of confidence to be mayor,” she said.
During the year that she was mayor, Meli said she had helped get the council’s financial position in order, including through a repayment plan with the previous year’s creditors.
Meli, 28, said she had long been active in the PL before running in the general election and local election, including as district coordinator, a member of Labour Youths and the party’s executive.
“The natural road was the general election and to serve not only Għargħur but the entire country,” she said.
The new MP denied treating the local council as a stepping stone into national politics.
“The council was where I began my time as a front-line politician. More than being a stepping stone, the council was a crucial way to better understand what it means to be hands-on in politics... you work directly with residents and find a balance between them, the needs of the locality and businesses,” she said.
Asked about making it to parliament via a casual election, rather than the gender corrective mechanism, Meli said: “Being an MP is always an honour.”
Focus on accessibility
Meli, a Transport Malta policymaker, said she wants to focus on social justice and making sure that everyone can benefit from the fruits of a strong economy.
Making Malta more accessible is another issue Meli wants to focus on.
“The Labour government has invested a lot in the environment and open spaces, but having a better environment is not just about having open spaces but also how to get to those spaces from your home,” she said.
“The environment needs to be safe, accessible and adequate for everyone.”
Times of Malta has asked to interview all new MPs. PN MPs were instructed not to accept any such requests until the party's shadow cabinet was announced.