PN local councillors forming part of the Port Region have condemned what they described as "government censorship" after Opposition spokesperson for local governance Bernice Bonello was removed from the programme of the Port Region's Cultural Year opening ceremony.

Nationalist Party local councillors on the first, second and third districts have strongly criticised the government's conduct towards Bonello, saying that no form of censorship against the Opposition should be tolerated.

The councillors were reacting to reports that, in recent days, the government ordered that Bonello be removed from the programme of the opening ceremony of the Port Region's Cultural Year and prevented from addressing the event.

They said this behaviour contrasts sharply with past practice under Nationalist administrations, when Labour Opposition representatives were always invited to participate in local council ceremonies.

"The Labour Government continues to say one thing and do the opposite," the councillors said, arguing that Labour still fails to understand that local councils are not government departments to be controlled at will, but autonomous local governments regulated by law.

They said that such censorship would not discourage Nationalist councillors from continuing to work in the best interests of their residents.

The PN councillors also expressed full solidarity with Bernice Bonello and extended their best wishes to the Port Region for the success of the cultural activities planned throughout the year.

However, in protest at the government's actions, the PN councillors of the Port Region said they had decided to boycott the activity scheduled to take place later on on Sunday.

The statement was signed by PN local councillors district representatives Roberta Bonello Felice, Leone Sciberras and Mark Lombardo.