Opposition motion on Mifsud Bonnici to be voted on 30 May

Once again former Leader of the House, Tonio Borg took control of the House Business Committee, taking over from his successor Carm Mifsud Bonnici who sat quietly next to Borg.

The Speaker Michael Frendo announced that the two parties had come to an agreement before the House Business Committee meeting to hold the discussion on the Opposition's motion calling for the resignation of Home Affairs Minister Mifsud Bonnici between 23 and 30 May.

The Speaker explained that Parliament will be meeting in the morning and evening between the two dates and MPs will have no time restrictions for their addresses.

Frendo also said that the debate on the Opposition motion on Richard Cachia Caruana will commence by having Malta's permanent representative to the EU grilled by the Parliamentary Foreign and European Affairs Committee on 14 May.

The vote on the motion calling for the resignation of Cachia Caruana will be taken by the Chamber not later than 18 June. However the vote can be postponed if the committee requires an extension, and could also be brought forward if both parties agree.

On 9 May the budget bill discussion will be over by noon. At 9pm the votes on the Budget Implementation Measures and the City Gate project's Special Purpose Vehicle will be taken. The Parliament is expected to meet in the evening on the two days preceding the vote unless the two parties agree otherwise.

On Monday both parties failed to reach an agreement on when the debate on the two motions should be held, with the government proposing to hold the debate on the Mifsud Bonnici motion on 4 June and the Opposition and Nationalist MP holding out to have the discussion held before 9 May. The Speaker then proposed a compromise and put forward a proposal to have the discussion on 23 May. The meeting was adjourned to today to give the parties time to discuss the proposal internally. 

Labour deputy leader Anglu Farrugia said: "Although we could have made life harder, we have taken a responsible decision to show that we are acting in the best interest of the country."

Borg said that the decision is different from what the government proposed. "But thanks to good sense from both sides and the intervention of the Speaker Micheal Frendo a reasonable agreement was reached."

As soon as the discussion on the two Opposition motions was over, Borg left the room and a visibly relieved Mifsud Bonnici took over and actively participated in the debate. Among the matters discussed, the House Business Committee agreed to stream video images of the next committee meeting on the Parliament's website.

Rebel MP Franco Debono who was present for Monday's House Business Committee meeting did not show up for today's meeting. Debono was neither seen in the Chamber.

For the past five months, Debono has kept the country and his party - with whom he appears to have broken ranks by repeatedly calling for Lawrence Gonzi's resignation - guessing over whether he intends voting against a money bill on 9 May that could precipitate early elections.

The odds appear to be strongly against him voting against the Budget Measures Appropriation Bill, and that he is more likely to abstain - allowing the Speaker of the House to keep Gonzi on life-support with his casting vote.