Labour mayor blocking Gudja councillors from debating accessibility problems

Gudja councillors Mark Anthony Sammut and Stefan Caruana (PN), and deputy mayor Romeo Baldacchino (PL), have denounced their mayor’s refusal to discuss a motion to offer local public services from the Gudja public library.

The councillors said that while the council should keep meeting at its offices on 88, Raymond Caruana Street, the amenities at the public library were more suitable for elder and disabled residents.

“We feel there is undue pressure on us not to give priority to the problems of accessibility at the council offices, which we feel goes against the concept of local subsidiarity. We have the go-ahead from the education department to use two rooms at the public library until we can resolve accessibility problems at the council’s offices,” the motion states.

But the PN councillors said that Labour mayor John Mary Calleja has refused to discuss this motion, and declared the council meeting closed before any discussion could take place.

“We have asked that our objection, from PN councillors and Labour councillors Romeo Baldacchino and Demelsa Grech, be minuted,” Sammut said.

“The mayor is not seeking his colleagues’ consultation, he is gagging councillors, and is at present being investigated by the department of local government for taking directions from the Labour Party instead of working in Gudja residents’ interests.”