The situation in the Għargħur local council that developed this week is a repetition of what had taken place in Mtarfa 22 years ago – with the roles reversed.
The Nationalist Party this week accused the Labour Party of not respecting democracy in Għargħur, where the PN obtained a majority of votes but has not lost the majority of seats on the council after one of the councillors elected on the PN ticket resigned from the party. Għargħur now has a Labour mayor.
In November 2003, it was the Labour Party which had cried foul when a motion of no confidence deposed the Mtarfa mayor of the time. The PL had obtained the majority of votes in the locality, earning three seats against the Nationalist Party’s two.
But John Camilleri, who was deputy mayor after being elected on the PL ticket, moved a motion of no confidence in mayor Josephine Abela, and this was supported by the two PN councillors, effectively deposing Abela. Camilleri, who had then been barred by the PL, became mayor with a PN councillor as deputy.
In that election, held just eight months before in March, the PL had won 54% of the votes of the Mtarfa residents, but ended up with a minority of seats.
At the time, then PL leader Alfred Sant had said that the will of the majority of the residents of Mtarfa had been betrayed. “When one rides roughshod over democracy,” Sant was quoted as saying at the time, “people have a right to express their scorn”.
Fast forward to 2025, and it is now the Nationalist Party which is saying that democracy is not being respected after what took place in Għargħur.
The PN, last June, obtained 62% of the votes and elected three councillors to Labour’s two.
Deputy Mayor Francesca Attard however resigned from the PN last month and has since turned the tables on her former party, backing a motion to remove the PN mayor Helen Gauci and replace her with PL councillor Mariah Meli.
The Nationalist Party reacted by accusing the Labour Party of taking over the Gharghur council against the will of the people.
“The blatant attack on democracy (is) driven purely by political motives and orchestrated by the Labour Party. Robert Abela’s Labour today betrayed the interests of the people of Għargħur simply to seize control of the Local Council against the majority’s will. After capturing national institutions, Abela is now grabbing hold of a Council with a clear PN majority just to maintain control,” the PN said.