The Local Council elections are over. It was clear that the Labour Party scored a big victory, with many nationalist supporters staying home. To be fair, neither political party really pushed the partisan aspect in this election, though the PL was more politically charged than the PN was.

But at the end of the day, politics should count for nothing in this poll. Local elections should be about the trust that residents have in candidates who will work hard to improve the situation for constituents.

Over the past year or so, we have seen the worst that can happen in local councils. The sniping and gutter attacks at the Sliema local council badly marred the reputation of local governments which really do work to improve the life of residents.

There are many localities where councilors from both sides of the political divide truly work together to bring about an improvement, but there are also a great many others where it is simply a hobby or a springboard into mainstream politics for those who are elected.

This attitude has to change. Local Councils have given us some good politicians and some good ministers, too. But there are a great number of candidates, who ride on a party ticket, who are just not up to the job.

We have also seen instances over the past couple of years, where there has been misadministration and even fraud in some of the heftier councils, and this too needs to be nipped in the bud. The authorities did not take the allegations of fraud very lightly, and people have been prosecuted in more than one locality. Again, this is an example of where some councils really do sully the reputation of others.

There will be some from both parties who will continue to bluster and boast on Facebook, but the reality is that local council elections should never have been politicised in the first place. The reason for this is due to the fact that if a councilor has a political allegiance, at times, he/she will put the interest of the party he/she represents before the interest of the residents which they are also supposed to represent.

But let us have faith. We have seen councils where all those elected strive to do the best for their locality, whether this means attracting investment, EU funding, projects, management and more. Let us hope that all those elected will fulfill their duty and obligations towards those who have put their trust in them.

Talk will now turn to the next General Election, which will happen within a year or so, but in the meantime, this country needs a break. It needs stability, a semblance of normality and tranquility.