PN accuses Labour of ‘stealing’ Għargħur council leadership again
Independent candidate elected as mayor
The Nationalist Party has accused Labour councillors in Għargħur of once again going against the will of voters after an independent councillor was elected mayor with their backing.
In a statement, the PN said the council leadership had been handed to an independent councillor, while the deputy mayor’s post had gone to a Labour councillor.
The party said the move ignored the result of the 2024 local council election, when the PN won a majority in the locality and Helen Gauci was appointed mayor.
The latest development follows months of controversy in Għargħur, where Gauci was ousted last year in a no-confidence vote backed by the council’s two Labour councillors and Francesca Attard, who had been elected on the PN ticket before resigning from the party and continuing as an independent.
That vote led to Labour councillor Mariah Meli becoming Għargħur’s first Labour mayor in more than three decades.
Meli later defended the way she became mayor, arguing that council decisions are taken by councillors, not according to party vote totals. She also rejected suggestions that the mayoral role had served as a stepping stone to parliament, saying her time on the council had helped her understand hands-on politics and work directly with residents.
Meli later vacated the mayoral post after being elected to parliament, paving the way for a new vote on the council’s leadership.
The PN has repeatedly argued that the change in leadership ignored the electoral mandate given by Għargħur residents. Labour, however, had previously said the no-confidence vote followed concerns about governance and transparency in the council.
In its latest statement, the PN said the new vote once again exposed what it described as Labour’s “hypocrisy” on democracy.
PN councillors in Għargħur said they would continue working for residents despite what they described as obstruction by Labour and the independent councillor.