Nationalist MP Franco Debono has been allocated just five minutes to speak in the debate on a motion of no confidence in Transport Minister Austin Gatt tomorrow, sources said.

The sources said that Dr Gatt has been allocated one hour and the Prime Minister half an hour. The source said that it was still possible things might change.

The executive of the Nationalist party is due to hold a third meeting on the bus service tonight as Dr Debono maintains his warning that he will abstain in the vote on the motion, moved by the opposition.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday said he expected all Nationalist MPs to vote against the motion.

But Dr Debono wants Dr Gatt to assume political responsibility for the problems which people have had to endure because of the way the bus service reform was handled.

The Prime Minister a few days ago said Dr Gatt had offered to resign but he refused the resignation.

Following the second meeting of the executive on Monday, Dr Gonzi said the Cabinet, as a whole, was assuming political responsiility since the reform was a promise made in the PN electoral programme.

Should Dr Debono abstain tomorrow, the government will not have a majority to defeat the Opposition motion and will have to rely on the Speaker's casting vote.

Dr Debono has been calling for parliamentary debates to be accessible on the 'visual media' including television and the internet. Yesterday he said that  since tomorrow's debate is of interest to the whole population, it should be televised, as happened in most other EU countries when important debates were held.

It is understood that there will be 23 speakers from the Government side in the debate tomorrow and all have been allocated five minutes except Dr Gonzi and Dr Gatt. The debate starts at 9 a.m. and the vote is expected to be taken at 8 p.m.

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