AD welcomes local governance board ruling's in favour of Attard councillors

The Local Governance Board has ruled that local councillors have the ‘right’ and ‘duty’ to speak out their opinions on political matters, including in view of the spring hunting referendum.

Last Saturday, the Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FKNK) started a protest after vice mayor of Attard, Marco Spiteri and local councillor Ralph Cassar, took to the Attard local council Facebook page to express their opposition to spring hunting.

AD chairperson, Arnold Cassola, said: "We cannot but applaud the President , Joe Mifsud, and the Local Governance Board for having taken the only plausible decision that can be taken in a democratic system.”

“The pathetic attempt by the FKNK officials to silence H'Attard councillor Ralph Cassar (AD), and Vice-Mayor Marco Spiteri (PN), and by extension the voices of those who do not agree with their views, confirms their anti-democratic credentials and indeed gives an extra motivation to vote LE to all those who believe in freedom of speech,” said Cassola.

“ ‘Je suis Charlie’ not only in Paris, but even in Malta,” he added referring to the issue of freedom of expression.