Labour’s Dream Was Just A Lie, Former Mayor Says As He Decides To Contest Election With PN
Former PL Rabat mayor Charles Azzopardi has decided to contest the next election with the Nationalist Party on the seventh district, warning that the “dream” the party sold people ahead of the 2013 election was just a “lie”.
“I was the first Labour mayor to be elected in Rabat, and I contested seven different elections on the party’s behalf,” Azzopardi told Sunday Times of Malta.
“Coming from such a background, I firmly believed in Labour’s 2013 dream to build a better Malta.
“After the first few years, I realised that dream was just a lie, a premeditated scheme to make money at the cost of everyone else’s well-being.”
“I believe politics is a powerful tool for serving and helping people, and I think that it needs to be done with a spirit of altruism. Politics is not business; I come from a family that went through very rough times, and we grew up taking care of each other.”
He said he decided to cross the political aisle after witnessing a “blatant block vote” against him in the 2017 election.
When the PL held a casual election on the seventh district last year in the wake of the resignation of former minister Edward Scicluna, Azzopardi was the first to be eliminated despite having a favourable surname in terms of donkey voting.
MTA chairman Gavin Gulia
Gavin Gulia was elected but resigned his seat right after he was sworn in so as to maintain his position as Malta Tourism Authority chairman. The PL eventually co-opted Oliver Scicluna.
Azzopardi also flagged how he had faced unfounded accusations of corruption and nepotism while Rabat mayor and was banned by the party from contesting the 2019 local council election. Despite this, police have yet to charge him.
He also said he couldn’t remain inactive in the wake of high-profile corruption and money laundering reports and revealed he’s always admired the Nationalist Party.
“To be pro-business is one thing, but to be pro-scheming and plotting is another. The PN is aware of the fact that I was never interested in being partisan but was only interested in serving people, as otherwise they would not have wanted me to join,” he said.
Would you vote for Charles Azzopardi if you had the chance?
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