I agree with your leader (Further division, TMID 21 January) in which you argued against the idea of having mini-councils within existing local councils.

Such a concept will lead to further division, not unity, among the people of the same locality. This is because people who have a mini-council will have a better advantage over others who do not have one, as the representatives of the mini-councils will speak on their behalf while the rest of the residents will not have such a luxury.

Secondly, I fail to understand why relatively small areas such as Santa Lucija (Kercem), Gwardamangia (Pieta) and Tal-Virtu (Rabat) will be getting their own mini-council while bigger zones such as Qajjenza in Birzebbuga, Qawra and Bugibba in St Paul's Bay and Manikata in Mellieha will not be getting theirs.

The parliamentary secretary for local councils, Chris Said, as you rightly pointed out never explained how the 16 zones which will have a mini-council have been selected. Who knows, there might have been some interests involved. His silence underscores the perception that some people are more equal than others.

On the whole, I think that having more and more councils - because, ultimately, this is what we will have - will not be beneficial to Malta and the local council system in general.

One reads every day - or almost - about councils who fail to deliver or who are being investigated for some kind of irregularity. With the setting up of these mini-councils, the chances are that more money will be wasted and more resources will be lost.

I just wonder why the government is taking such a measure.

Paul Abela

St Paul's Bay