Flare-up as opposition calls for suspension of normal business to discuss resignations, government disagrees

Commotion broke out in Parliament this evening, after the government did not agree with a request from the opposition to suspend normal business of the day, and instead urgently discuss yesterday's civil society calls for the resignation of the Police Commissioner and the Attorney General

The opposition brought forward a motion under Article 13 of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives Order, on adjournment on matters of definite urgent public importance, contending that the resignation calls constituted an urgent and very serious matter of national importance which should be discussed in parliament immediately.

The government disagreed with the motion, which could only go ahead if there was agreement on both sides of the house. The speaker thus formally ruled that normal business should be resumed.

This led to a temper flare-up, with Opposition leader Adrian Delia and Nationalist MP Mario DeMarco asking the government how it could decide to resume scheduled budget discussions when a journalist had been murdered, and the country was experiencing a breakdown in the rule of law, while all the world looked at Malta.

Delia question how, when a few days ago both the government and opposition had agreed that budgetary discussion were irrelevant in light of what had happened, the government now was insisting on continuing such a discussion.

“Is the government now maintaining that the budget is more relevant than the murder”? he asked.

He had earlier criticised Prime Minister Joseph Muscat for making no mention of the brutal assassination in his speech to parliament this morning, when he laid out decisions which the government had taken about Air Malta.

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