A temporary tent set up in Naxxar’s main square for a political event was placed there without councilors' knowledge, the town’s local council has said. 

The white marquee was set up outside the Labour Party’s Naxxar club and hosted an activity organised by party leadership candidate Robert Abela on Friday. 

Dr Abela is competing against Chris Fearne in the race to take over as party leader and prime minister from Joseph Muscat. 

Workers were seen dismantling the tent on Saturday afternoon, hours after the local council went public with its irritation about it.  

In a Facebook post, the local council said that it had not been consulted or informed about the tent being set up.

Political parties must obtain a police permit when organising public activities but are not obliged to seek or obtain permission from local councils. 

The council however noted that the Labour Party had in the past always consulted with it when it planned mass meetings in Naxxar during electoral campaigns. 

“In this case, this did not happen,” the council said. 

Naxxar mayor Annemarie Muscat Fenech Adami said the central government was steamrolling over councils. 

“You’re treating councils as though they don’t exist now that you’re calling them ‘local government’,” she wrote on Facebook. 

Residents reacted to the council’s disavowal in different ways. 

Some wholeheartedly endorsed the council position. 

“They’re the ones who will most likely face residents’ complaints,” noted Michelle Sultana. 

Others were less bothered. 

“They have a police permit, so they did nothing wrong. Or is [the problem] because this was for a PL event?” asked Simon Vella.