9 May vote | Muscat takes Gonzi to task on procrastination

Speaking on the crucial 9 May vote in which the House will be voting on the Budgetary Measures Implementation Bill - a money bill which if defeated could pronounce the end of government - Opposition leader Joseph Muscat reiterated that government had only delayed what should have been done weeks ago.

"We should have taken this vote two months ago. The Prime Minister is now insisting that it is 'urgent' ... if it's so urgent why did he take a four-week recess?" Muscat said, echoing comments made by backbencher Franco Debono. The Opposition on Thursday tabled an adjournment motion to have two motions to force the resignation of home affairs minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici and the Permanent Representative to the EU Richard Cachia Caruana, debated at the next sitting of the House.

Muscat said that the Opposition had showed good will in saying that it would not present the motions if government was willing to discuss a time-frame for the debates.

"We offered a hand. Our door is still open if government wants to discuss. The 9 May vote doesn't make any difference to us ... it's the arrogant manner which government dictates the agenda with that irritates us," Muscat said.

He added that government's plan all along was to delay time: "The one-horse race for the PN leadership election looks even more farcical now - a futile exercise only to delay time. As things stand today, it's a hysterical situation of a government which wants to cling to power at all costs."

Muscat went on to add that whether it's today or tomorrow, government would still have to face its test when elections come.