Updated | Motion of no confidence to be discussed on Monday in 13-hour sitting

The House Business Committee was marked by a number of suspensions this evening as government and opposition tried to reach an agreement on how to proceed on a no-confidence motion presented by the opposition.

It was eventually agreed to discuss the motion on Monday and 13 hours were allocated, amid complaints by the government that the agreement had come at the expense of government's preparatory work for the EU presidency.

"It was highly insensitive of the opposition not to agree to meet this week when it knows the workload we have next week," Carmelo Abela and Deborah Schembri commented. Monday's session was proposed by Schembri after it became evident that the two sides would not reach an agreement for this week.

Earlier, the government and opposition failed to agree on a date, with the government side insisting that the motion should be discussed on Friday, starting at 9am and taking as much time as the opposition wished to.

“We can start at 9am and stay here even beyond 9pm, if need be,” junior minister Deborah Schembri told the parliamentary committee.

However, PN deputy leader Mario de Marco said that the opposition was not ready to do a marathon sitting and, logistically, it was impossible for the opposition.

It is estimated that at least 60 members of parliament want to take part in the debate.

The opposition suggested that the debate should be spread over the mornings of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Government whip Godfrey Farrugia said there was other work on the agenda that needed to be approved before the summer recess – not least 18 pieces of legislation.

Farrugia reminded that the last motion of no confidence to be discussed in parliament – in 2012 – had lasted three sittings, 12 hours. He suggested that 12 hours on Friday should be enough.

The Speaker drew attention to the fact that in such debates, MPs had a maximum of 60 minutes each to deliver the statement to parliament.

Schembri and home affairs minister Carmelo Abela said they could not understand why the opposition was refusing to engage in the debate on Friday.

“This is a motion which the opposition presented with a sense of urgency … I can’t understand why you want to delay the discussion now. What happened to this sense of urgency?” she questioned.

De Marco however insisted that if the government wanted a serious sitting, it would agree to spread it over three sittings. A debate ensued on which was the “first working sitting [or day]” from the Prime Minister’s arrival from Jordan and Lebanon.

When the committee resumed, the government whip said the government had commitments both in Malta and abroad with matters which were of national interest. By way of example, Abela has two EU councils.

“Our proposal for Friday was not frivolous … we analysed both parliament’s and government’s work,” Farrugia added.

Schembri said there were close to nine ministers and parliamentary secretaries who would be abroad on government work next week.

“We appeal the opposition for common sense,” Farrugia went on to say.

De Marco said he “appreciated” government’s commitments and went on to propose taking the vote on a sitting where all members of parliament would be present.

Abela cited commitments emanating from Malta’s presidency of the EU which was keeping ministers busy. He reiterated that the government was not restricting time, while arguing that splitting the debate over three sittings would be restricting the time allocated.

“Our proposal is to start on Friday morning and go on until necessary,” Abela added.

He went on to suggest convening on Saturday. Both the government and opposition appeared adamant to stick to their own plans. De Marco then suggested meeting on Friday morning for four hours and continue the debate Monday and Tuesday or Tuesday and Wednesday or Wednesday and Thursday.

Farrugia then suggested starting the motion this Wednesday without the Prime Minister and the deputy prime minister and then continue on Friday afternoon. “This way it would be split either way,” he added.

But de Marco insisted on moving the debate next week. Schembri then proposed holding the debate on Monday - full day.

After an hour and a half, it was agreed to hold the debate on Monday and de Marco proposed holding the sitting from 9am to 9pm. Farrugia however said that the sitting should be from 9am to 11pm.

It was finally agreed to hold the motion on Monday between 9am and 10pm.