Josè Herrera was sceptical about asking for Mifsud Bonnici resignation [WATCH]

Labour MP José Herrera has admitted having been sceptical about turning a motion of censure into one of resignation against his former government counterpart Carm Mifsud Bonnici, in an interview broadcast in Favourite Channel's Reporter on Monday evening.

In the interview, broadcast before the crucial parliamentary vote of confidence, the co-signatory to the motion calling for the censure of the home affairs minister admits his initial scepticism to changing the motion to call for Mifsud Bonnici's resignation.

Yesterday's vote of confidence was called after the home affairs minister Mifsud Bonnici tendered his resignation following the approval of the Opposition's motion on Wednesday.

The Opposition's motion originally called for the censure of the minister, however at the beginning of the debate Labour amended it to one calling for his resignation.  

Without expressing his categorical opposition to the amendment, Herrera, who drafted the original motion in 2011 said: "I must admit I was sceptical for two reasons, firstly because censure is the customary term used in the English parliamentary system. Secondly, censure also carries very serious consequences."

Pressed to confirm whether this amendment was requested after Nationalist MP Franco Debono started being more vocal in his criticism towards Mifsud Bonnici, Herrera said he could not deny that the Opposition was "listening to what Debono and other government MPs were saying."

However, Herrera justified the amendment by saying that the notion of censure was not widely known in Maltese politics and government MPs were also trying give the motion a different interpretation.

Herrera also noted that since Mifsud Bonnici's resignation, he had come across different reactions to last week's events in his home visits. "Constituents with Labour sympathies were euphoric, while constituents with Nationalist sympathies were sceptical about the motivation behind the motion."

Asked to explain the original motivation behind the motion, Herrera said that although Mifsud Bonnici's honesty and integrity were never in doubt, "the minister's decisions brought chaos in the administration of justice", citing the ministers procrastination in introducing the right to legal assistance as one of the major reasons behind the motion.

Josè Herrera replies (5 June, 2012)

"The heading on Maltatoday.com.mt 'Josè Herrera was sceptical about asking for Mifsud Bonnici resignation' is somewhat misleading because at no point did I say I did not agree with calling for Mifsud Bonnici's resignation but stated that a motion of censure meant the same thing. A few seconds later I also say in no uncertain terms that I agreed with the call for resignation because it was not clear that government would understand that a censure motion should lead to a resignation. I said that this was why the Speaker accepted the change from a censure motion to resignation."