GRTU president, ‘Economic uncertainty down to MP’s rebellion’

The Chamber of SMEs' (GRTU) president Paul Abela has made a call to political leaders not to go for early elections, and for the government to solve its political instability inside its own party.

Abela, who made his intervention at a Times debate between the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader, said businesses demanded a climate of certainty, and "condemned" those who created uncertainty and instability.

"We expect that when an election is planned, it takes place in its own time and nobody in parliament should invent something to create uncertainty. We insist the parties have to solve their internal disagreements between themselves, and not confuse people," Abela said, in a reference to Lawrence Gonzi's threatened one-seat majority.

Abela also claimed Malta was being "ridiculed" - according to reports from his colleagues in the EU seat of Brussels - while other countries were facing greater problems that had caused instability.

"They have greater problems than Malta, where we don't have big economic problems but we are still suffering from economic uncertainty due to the rebellion of one MP."

Abela said the GRTU wanted government and oppositon to agree on a legislative plan until the country goes to the polls in 2013. "MPs must not be encouraged, whoever is in power, to blackmail the government. Businesses want that a government with majority of votes to govern for its entire legislature... the Cabinet may change and laws may not be passed, but a government's stabiity must not be threatend."