Motion of censure: Opposition appeals Speaker’s ruling

The Opposition have appealed a decision by the Speaker that “forbade” a no confidence motion against the Prime Minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri.


PN deputy leader Mario de Marco and opposition MP Francis Zammit Dimech told the press that Speaker Anglu Farrugia's decision was a case of "two weights, two measures" after his predecessor had green-lighted a similar motion against Malta's former representative to the EU Richard Cachia Caruana.


"Through this decision, Parliament is being denied the chance of acting as a voice to the public, who want Schembri censured," he said.

"Parliament should be allowed to directly censure all political appointments, to safeguard both its own sovereignty and the national interest."

The House Business Committee will now have to convene to decide a date on which the House will debate the Opposition's motion. A vote will be taken at the end of the debate. 

The motion presented by independent MP Marlene Farrugia was originally one of no confidence against Schembri. But, upon the advice of the Speaker and the Clerk of the House, Farrugia amended her motion to one of censure. This, the Speaker said, ensured that Farrugia’s motion was admissible.

The Opposition has questioned on what basis Speaker Anglu Farrugia told the independent MP that the original motion – which the opposition was to support – was inadmissible.

On Wednesday, the Speaker said that, according to the advice received, Farrugia’s original motion was inadmissible because it tackled different matters in one motion. Moreover, the person concerned – Schembri – was not answerable to parliament but to the person who employed him on the position of trust basis. It is that person – the Prime Minister – who would however be answerable to parliament.
On the other hand, Cachia Caruana had fulfilled functions stemming from the Constitution.

“It is the prime minister and the ministers who are politically responsible of their staff and therefore a motion of censure has to be done against elected members of parliament.”