Nationalist Party councillors in Qala have condemned “the irresponsibility of the Labour Mayor” who, they said, “has left residents to their own devices.”

In a statement by Karl Buttigieg Minority Leader and PN Councillor, Qala and Valerie Cassar Mejlak PN Councillor, Qala, they claimed that “after securing their votes, the Labour councillors in Qala, Gozo – led by Mayor Paul Buttigieg – have turned their backs on the very residents who elected them, failing to fulfil even the most basic duty required of them by law: attending council meetings.”

“Although the date for the August council meeting had long been agreed, this week neither the Mayor nor the other two Labour councillors bothered to show up for the session at the council offices, resulting in the meeting having to be cancelled,” the PN councillors said.

They argued that “it is clear that the Mayor is doing everything possible to avoid facing the residents who elected him, knowing full well that they have grown tired of his behaviour and of his failure to deliver for the locality.”

According to the PN Councillors, “during previous meetings, residents openly voiced their frustrations, particularly about the dirt, neglect, and the piles of waste left to accumulate across Qala, as well as the lack of upkeep in public spaces.”

The PN councillors strongly condemned, what the describe as “the irresponsibility of the Mayor and the two other Labour councillors who chose to bow their heads to the Mayor’s dictates instead of serving the residents who entrusted them with the administration of their locality.”

“It is no secret that even Labour councillors themselves are unhappy with Paul Buttigieg’s leadership – and this is not the first time they have said so publicly. Yet, instead of placing the interests of Qala residents first, they too abdicated their responsibilities,” the PN councillors said.

At the meeting scheduled for Tuesday, they said that, “important issues such as waste management and the use of the new community van – secured thanks to the efforts of the PN councillors but spitefully left idle – were due to be discussed.”

The stressed that “of further concern is the fact that neither the Mayor nor the Deputy Mayor attended the Regional Mayors’ meeting, once again demonstrating the Labour councillors’ indifference towards the locality, and even more so towards its residents.”

“It was only after PN councillors representing the people of Qala raised the issue publicly in the media that another meeting was hastily convened for later this week,” they said.

The PN councillors insisted that “it is easy to make promises, but residents judge on action, not words. The behaviour of Labour councillors towards the people of Qala speaks for itself.”

The PN councillors in Qala concluded by saying that they will “continue working tirelessly to ensure that, despite the failings of others, residents do not suffer.”

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