in English below

Sandra Gauci, iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, ġiet eletta fil-Kunsill Lokali ta’ San Pawl il-Baħar b’557 preferenzi fir-raba’ għadd. Gauci hija l-ewwel kunsilliera lokali għall-ADPD f’ħames snin, u l-elezzjoni tagħha tirrifletti x-xejra aktar wiesgħa li n-nies xebgħu bil-politika tal-PLPN tas-soltu, u lesti jagħtu ċans lil partiti terzi u kandidati indipendenti. Speċjalment dawk, bħal Sandra, li ilhom jaħdmu bis-sħiħ biex jirrappreżentaw lin-nies.

Sandra Gauci qalet: Se nkompli nkun vuċi għar-residenti, kif dejjem kont, u niżgura li l-benesseri tagħhom jiġi l-ewwel u qabel kollox. Bħala kunsilliera eletta f’isem ADPD – The Green Party se nfassal il-ħidma tiegħi fuq l-għarfien ekoloġiku, il-ġustizzja soċjali, d-demokrazija parteċipattiva, n-non-vjolenza, s-sostenibilità u r-rispett lejn id-diversità.

Huwa ta’ għajb li ħarġu jivvutaw biss 28%, u għalhekk nixtieq nfassal progetti ta’ demokrazija parteċipattiva biex insaħħaħ id-demokrazija lokali. Fejn mhux biss inkun il-vuċi tar-resident, imma li noħolqu spazju fejn ikunu jistgħu ir-residenti huma stess jwasslu l-ideat tagħhom b’mod dirett, lilna, bħala kunsilliera. 

Fil-kunsill se naħdem b’prijorita fuq it-tindif tal-lokal u l-ispazji miftuħa, biex f’żoni residenzjali n-nies jieħdu prijorità u jiżdiedu l-aċċessibilità u s-sigurtà fit-toroq.  Hemm wisq żvilupp selvaġġ u thedid tal-kosta minn interessi privati.

Se naħdem biex jiżdied ir-riċiklaġġ permezz ta′ kampanji ta′ informazzjoni u insistenza fuq l-infurzar. Se naħdem biex jinġabar materjal ieħor regolarment għall-użu mill-ġdid jew għar-riċiklaġġ, ngħidu aħna l-ħwejjeġ. Kif ukoll fuq il-kunċett tal-freecycling u t-thrifting. Għat-tindif tal-lokal se nibda proġett biex fil-mixja lejn il-mira nazzjonali ta′ skart-żero fl-2050, isir pjan lokali dwar it-tnaqqis tal-iskart. 

In-nies jafuni bħala persuna li dejjem titkellem b’mod ċar, u hekk se nkompli nagħmel biex nżomm ir-residenti nfurmati fuq dak kollu li jikkonċerna l-lokalità tagħna.

Nirringrazzja lil kull votant tal-fiduċja.

Samuel Vella, iċ-chair tal-Kollettiv Żgħażagħ Ekoxellugin li kkontesta l-elezzjoni għal Kunsill Lokali ta’ Ħal Balzan f’isem ADPD kiseb 6.74% tal-vot, u waqa’ fis-sitt għadd b’183 vot.

Melissa J Bagley, id-deputat chairperson ta’ADPD – The Green Party li kkontestat l-elezzjoni għal Kunsill Lokali ta’ Birżebbuġa f’isem ADPD kisbet 3.50% tal-vot, u waqgħet fid-disa’ għadd b’211 vot.

Nirringrazjaw lil Samuel u lil Melissa tal-ħidma tagħhom.

Sandra Gauci, chair of ADPD – The Green Party, is elected to St. Paul’s Bay Local Council with 557 first preferences and the 6th candidate elected to the Council on the 4th Count. Gauci is the first local councillor for ADPD in five years, and her election reflects the broader trend of people being fed up with PLPN politics as usual, and ready to give a chance to third parties and independent candidates. Especially those, like Sandra, who have been working hard to represent the people on the ground. 

Sandra Gauci comments: I will continue to be a voice for others, as I always have been. My overall priority is to ensure the wellbeing of residents. As a local councillor of ADPD – The Green Party my work will be based on the Green principles of ecological wisdom, social justice, participatory democracy, non-violence, sustainability, and the respect for diversity.

It is a shame that the turnout in St Paul’s Bay was only 28%, and this is why I will work towards projects regarding participatory democracy. I do not only want to be the voice of residents, but also foster spaces where residents themselves will be able to bring their ideas in a direct and structured way – to us the Local Council.

In St. Paul’s Bay I will work to prioritise cleanliness and open spaces, so that residential areas will be more accessible. There is too much unsustainable development and the take-over of our coast by private interests is unacceptable.

I will work for greater recycling through information campaigns and insistence on enforcement. Introducing freecycling and thrifting project, and I will work towards having regular collection of various materials for reuse or recycling, such as clothes.  I want to implement projects on local strategies for waste reduction, in line with the National Strategy for the Environment 2050 in achieving the target for zero-waste by 2050. 

People have got to know me as a person who has always spoken clearly, and I will continue to do so so that residents will be informed on everything that concerns our locality.

I thank every voter for the trust they have put in me.

Samuel Vella, chair of ADPD – The Green Party youth wing Kollettiv Żgħażagħ Ekoxellugin who contested the local council election in Balzan received 6.74% of first preference votes. He stayed in the running until the 6th of 10 counts with 183 votes.

Melissa J Bagley, deputy chair of ADPD – The Green Party who contested the local council election in Birżebbuġa received 3.50% of first preference votes. She stayed in the running until the 9th of 15 counts with 211 votes.

We thank Samuel and Melissa for their work during this campaign.