The political parties are gearing up for an early election as all other options to solve the political crisis sparked by backbencher Franco Debono seem to have been extinguished, sources from the two main parties told The Times.
An emergency PN parliamentary group meeting has been called for this evening in anticipation of the party’s MPs rallying behind Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
Tomorrow’s PN executive committee will discuss the crisis, even though it was originally planned to approve candidates for the March local council elections. The issue was also discussed at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Michael Frendo, has turned down a request by Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat to reconvene Parliament early to discuss the situation and establish if the government still enjoys a majority.
The Speaker last night said he had taken the decision because of the short time remaining for Parliament to reconvene after the Christmas recess. The House meets on Wednesday next week. Dr Debono is insisting Dr Gonzi must resign or call an election because he has lost confidence in the government and will vote against his own party in a confidence motion in Parliament. The issue came to a head after a re-organisation of the Cabinet last Friday left Dr Debono seething.
Dr Gonzi has decided to take the issue to the party forum although this approach has been dismissed by Dr Debono who insists this is a constitutional crisis.
The PN’s executive committee meeting will bring together some 80 top party officials who will discuss the issue behind closed doors.
Dr Gonzi is expected to give a detailed explanation on the Debono crisis and invite his colleagues to give their views.
Although they might decide to take a vote of confidence in Dr Gonzi as party leader, PN sources said it was also likely they would suggest calling an urgent, extraordinary general council conference, which would also manifest a public show of support for the Prime Minister.
Over the weekend, the crisis galvanised support for Dr Gonzi among party grassroots, according to PN sources, who indicated that an early election caused by the Debono saga might be the party’s best bet.
Labour unlikely to provide a lifeline
A scheduled political meeting at Marsaxlokk last Sunday gave Dr Gonzi a much-needed morale boost as hundreds of party supporters showed up to cheer him on. Although he said he was still aiming to last out the full term of the legislature, Dr Gonzi pointed out it did not only depend on his party.
However, the party cannot afford to head into the local council elections in March without solving the Debono saga, according to PN sources.
The PN would also prefer the Labour Party to be the one to force the election since polls, including one on timesofmalta.com, indicate most people are not in the mood for one.
Backbenchers like Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, who have been critical of Dr Gonzi in the past, have dismissed the idea of a party leadership contest (which could otherwise satisfy Dr Debono) and advocated an election instead.
A leadership race might be too divisive at this time and could weaken a potential PN trump card: that it has the most experienced team to face the economic threats looming on the horizon.
Dr Debono has ignored the loud chorus among PN supporters to resign from Parliament and vowed to ignore a petition circulating in the fifth district asking him to step down.
Meanwhile, in the absence of a vote of confidence in Parliament being called by the government, the Labour Party has not excluded calling one itself, even though Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat has spoken cautiously so far.
Labour sources said the party was unlikely to give a lifeline to the government by pledging some form of parliamentary support to make up for Dr Debono’s lost seat.
Sources said Labour, especially its grassroots, thinks this would simply give the PN more time to prepare its election campaign, give an indication the PL fears an early campaign, and would prolong instability in the country.
Foreign Affairs spokesman George Vella said on Facebook yesterday that under parliamentary law the Opposition can put forward a motion to discuss a matter of urgent public importance. He said this would have to be accepted by Speaker Michael Frendo.
“If the Speaker denies that the current situation is of public importance, urgent, and of a defined nature, then despite my respect towards Dr Frendo, I will propose a vote of no confidence in the Speaker,” he said.
Dr Debono yesterday stressed Dr Gonzi should go to the President not the party’s executive committee.
However, when contacted, President Emeritus and former Nationalist Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami said Dr Debono was effectively contesting the party leadership by saying he was ready to serve anyone but the Prime Minister.
Dr Fenech Adami added that an election had to be decided in Parliament and if a vote of no-confidence passed, an election would have to be held.
“I don’t believe it should be the Prime Minister who calls a vote of confidence but if somebody calls a vote of no confidence and it passes, the Constitution is clear.”