A two-hour meeting between the Malta Police Association and senior police officers, including the acting police commissioner, did not lead to a solution on changes announced last week on how the top ranks of the police force are appointed.

The government has chosen to establish that the highest three ranks in the force - commissioner, deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner - will no longer be considered as such, but whoever is occupying the posts will be employed through temporary performance agreements that could be renewed.

The Addendum to the document regulating the conditions of service for the police force was signed by the principal permanent secretary Mario Cutajar and the permanent secretary in the Home Affairs Ministry on Wednesday.

The MPA is adamantly against the proposal, which has also been described by the Nationalist Party as a threat to the police's independence and autonomy.

The MPA is insisting that the people occupying the top three posts in the force will be effectively under the control of the executive. The MPA is arguing that police officers should not be hindered from doing their duties, knowing that they could be removed if they take a decision with which the Executive did not agree.

Tonight's meeting was aimed to find a way forward but no solution was found, with the MPA now considering other options, such as taking the matter to court.

Present for the meeting was the Acting Police Commissioner Raymond Zammit, deputy and assistant commissioners, as well as some superintendents and inspectors.