Mayor Quits Valletta 2018 Board After Chairman Jason Micallef’s Disrespectful Behaviour
Following international calls to boycott Valletta 2018 events and a petition signed by over 100 Maltese artists calling for the resignation of Chairman Jason Micallef, Valletta mayor Alexiei Dingli has announced he will be leaving the Foundation’s board.
Reminding Chairman Micallef that the title of Valletta 2018 was given to the city of Valletta, Dr Dingli called for basic respect to be shown towards Malta’s capital city. In his letter to the Chairman, which was sent last week, he lists a series of organisational failures that led to his decision to distance himself from the board.
“However,” he said in his letter, “the last straw came from your online comments. Since you hold a public position, when you comment, you are not doing so in your personal capacity but in the name of the foundation and thus, in my name. As a board member, I can assure you that I do not share your sentiment and I disassociate myself from your comments.”
He reminded the Chairman that he had been reprimanded by a whole host of individuals, including various MEPs, international writers, members of the selection panel, members of the monitoring panel, local artists, as well as the Dutch European Capital of Culture Leeuwarden.
He also referred to a letter sent by Chairman Micallef to Dr Dingli criticising his comments on social media, saying it is ironic that an “advocate of free speech like yourself” would then try to stifle another’s free speech.
He ended his letter by saying he was hurt by how things were unfolding after spending nearly a decade working on Valletta becoming the European Capital of Culture. He called on Valletta 2018 to project core European values and stated that he would be distancing himself from the Valletta 2018 foundation until then.
Among the other letter’s addressees with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Leader of the Opposition Adrian Delia, Minister for Culture Owen Bonnici and Parliamentary Secretary for Valletta 2018 Deo Debattista.
What do you think of Dr Dingli’s letter?
READ NEXT: The Man Who Helped Valletta Become European Capital Of Culture Will Be Boycotting It
