Labour, independent, Għargħur councillors table motion of no confidence in PN mayor

Għargħur’s Labour local councillors together with a former PN local councillor have tabled a motion of no confidence against the locality’s Nationalist mayor.

In a statement, the PL said that the move comes after several unanswered requests for clarification on what they described as “suspicious and potentially irregular expenditures” under the mayor’s administration.

The councillors pointed to findings by the Auditor General which, they claim, identified shortcomings in the locality’s financial management that have still not been addressed. They also highlighted that the 2024 financial report has yet to be finalised or submitted.

The Għargħur council has seen a change in composition after Francesca Attard, who was elected on the PN ticket, announced that she will continue serving as an independent local councillor to be “free from political pressure.”

The no-confidence motion is expected to be debated by the council in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the PN has criticised the move, claiming that the local councillors are attempting to undermine the results of the last election.

According to PN representatives, Mayor Gauci received 869 first-count votes—amounting to 43% of the total votes cast—compared to a combined 783 votes for the three councillors supporting the motion. The PN also noted that it won 62.3% of the overall vote in the locality, compared to 37.7% for the Labour Party.

PN officials said that the motion has angered a number of residents who supported Gauci at the ballot box, and claimed that a petition in her support is being circulated locally.