Mayors and deputy-mayors representing the Nationalist Party refrained from attending a meeting of the Association of Local Councils in Marsascala yesterday in protest at what they said was “discriminatory action” against them by the Labour-led association.

A statement signed by Dr Malcolm Mifsud, president of the PN College of Councillors, said that association executive council member Ian Micallef, a Nationalist councillor, had been removed as chairman of one session of the meeting.

The statement said it was common practice that the meeting for mayors and deputy-mayors would be led by the association’s two vice-presidents and president. In fact, on the original agenda, Labour councillor Claudette Baldacchino was to have chaired yesterday’s meeting, Mr Micallef was scheduled to lead the first part of today’s session and the rest of today’s meeting was to have been led by association president Michael Cohen.

The college said that on Thursday it had been decided that today’s session would be led only by Mr Cohen.

The college said that last Wednesday, Mr Micallef had brought to the council’s attention the fact that motions had not been presented according to law and therefore the association would have encountered legal problems during the meeting.

The college condemned the association’s behaviour in this regard, saying that Dr Micallef was only doing his duty in pointing out the legal problem.