Żejtun Labour local council attempts to silence PN councillor in the locality, PN says

The Partit Nazzjonalista and the Kulleġġ Kunsillieri Lokali Partit Nazzjonalista (KKLPN) on Sunday strongly deplored the statement issued yesterday by the Labour Local Council of Żejtun (or by the Mayor herself), which condemns PN coun

By: independent.com.mt

Sep 26 2024
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Żejtun Labour local counc

The PN said it has always believed in freedom of expression, and this right must be respected by everyone. Furthermore, every councillor and everyone holding an elected position is duty-bound to keep their electorate, as well as their constituents, informed about the work being carried out.

The Facebook post in question by Abela concerned a motion that she filed for the setting up of bollards in front of an APS Bank branch in the locality’s square because of vehicles stopping there illegally, despite their being cameras. The motion was not supported by the council.

The council responded through its own Facebook page lambasting Abela, saying that when the council was appointed on June all its members had agreed that they would work as one team and that nobody would share individual posts.

“Enya doesn’t appear to want to accept that we, the Labour majority, are ready to work with our friends in the PN for the good of all people from Zejtun as one team,” the council wrote.

The Labour Party holds seven seats in Zejtun, while the Nationalist Party holds two, with Abela being the PN’s minority leader in the locality.

The council said that nobody had seconded Abela’s motion for the bollards and insisted that either way these bollards have no place in the town square. The statement is not signed, but appears to have been written by Zejtun’s mayor Joan Agius, as it contains a number of first-person references to the mayor.

“We are seeing that Enya seemingly wants to work alone and against the majority of the council, and I again explain that we are a Labour majority and that decisions are taken by the council and not by individual councillors be they from the PN or the PL. So I am calling on Enya to follow our local council, or else if she is going to keep working alone, she will not find us behind her,” the council said.

What the Żejtun Local Council is trying to impose is nothing short of oppression and censorship, ensuring that the people of Żejtun only receive the messages approved by certain individuals, hearing only one side of the story, the PN said about the counci’s reaction. This is the same method used by the regime in North Korea, the PN said.

The PN was the party in government that worked to ensure freedom of expression in this country, contrary to what the Labour Party desired at the time. The PN wants this freedom to continue being enjoyed by everyone, including all local councillors.

While expressing solidarity with Councillor Enya Abela, the PN calls on her and all local councillors to continue voicing their concerns and not allow anyone to silence them.

Moreover, no threats will discourage PN local councillors from continuing to fulfil their duties in the interest of residents in every locality in Malta and Gozo, the PN said.

The Partit Nazzjonalista will be bringing this case before the Local Governance Board to investigate the ethical breach when this statement was issued.

Finally, the PN called on the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Local Government to intervene in this case and ensure that such intimidation of a local council minority ceases immediately and is not repeated. Should they fail to do so, we take it that they would be in agreement with, and are complicit in this behaviour.