Gżira’s newest councillor has been kept from being sworn in from his post because the local council building is not accessible for wheelchair users, the Nationalist Party has said. 

Mario Azzopardi was elected to the Gżira local council on August 17 in a by-election, following the resignation of Shaun Farrugia. 

Earlier this month, Farrugia pleaded guilty to making a false bomb threat to a Sliema restaurant and is out on bail pending the conclusion of a pre-sentencing report. 

Azzopardi was meant to be sworn in to his new post at a council meeting on August 23, however, he was unable to attend the meeting in person as he makes use of a wheelchair and the building’s lift was out of order. He was told to either attend the council meeting online or allow himself to be carried up the stairs. 

In a statement, PN councillors Jeremy Cardona, Jessica Borg and Hugh Caruana said they asked for the meeting to be suspended. 

The council, they said, was aware of Azzopardi’s accessibility needs and that the lift had not been in working order for a period of time before the meeting. 

Additionally, the councillors lamented that the agenda as well as other documents that should have been sent to them five days prior to the meeting had been sent that morning instead. 

“The PN councillors have been highlighting for some time that the Gżira local council is not functioning as it should,” the statement continued. 

The councillors added that Azzopardi should be sworn at once.

“Someone must take responsibility for this lack of respect and equality by the council’s leadership that lead to the discrimination of a person with disabilities and a councillor elected by the people,” the PN said.