Bonnici says pushing councils to 2019 ‘not linked to hunting referendum’

Government proposes postponement of council elections till 2019 • Video Ray Attard

The government has opened a public consultation exercise to postpone local council elections up until 2019 to coincide with the next European elections.

Parliamentary Secretary for local government, Stefan Buontempo, said the government was committed to secure consultation with party local councillors from the Nationalist Party and Alternattiva Demokratika, as well as Labour, and the Local Councils' Association, in a bid to take a decision before the next council elections in March 2015. Members of the Vote 16 Campaign will also be consulted.

[WATCH] Owen Bonnici: postponing council elections not linked to hunting referendum

The consultation will last until 27 September, 2014.

The news comes in the wake of a heated parliamentary debate in which Opposition leader Simon Busuttil had revealed that the government was planning to postpone local council elections up until 2019, instantly eliciting suspicion that Joseph Muscat was attempting to dead-leg a possible referendum to abrogate spring hunting by holding the plebiscite separately from the local council elections in a bid to spike participation.

Justice Minister Owen Bonnici has refuted suggestions that the postponement of council elections was connected in any way to the spring hunting referendum, which is being called by over 40,000 signatories to a petition collected by the Campaign Against Bird Slaughter. The signatures must be presented to the Constitutional Court after being verified by the Electoral Commission.

Under the proposal, the government would postpone elections for local councils - which it says cost €2.5 million to organise - up until 2019, extending a current three-year term for councils to seven. The government feels that joining council elections to the EP elections will reduce electoral fatigue and increase electoral participation.

PN councillors' college reaction

In a statement, the PN local councilors’ college said that calling the public consultation process just five months ahead of the next council elections in March 2015, was neither a serious nor genuine intent for consultation.

“This matter was only brought to the attention of the general public thanks to the intervention of the Opposition leader who revealed what was taking place behind the scenes,” PN college executive member Angelo Micallef said.

“We believe this position creates an atmosphere of uncertainty amongst mayors, councilors and prospective candidates who have the right to know the government’s stance. We find it ironic that the government launched a public consultation to see whether it should actually hold that most direct of public consultations – a democratic election.”