Update 3: Government hits out at proposed 90-minute time limit for confidence debate

(Adds Opposition's statement)

The government has criticised the time limit proposed by the Opposition for the no confidence debate in Parliament and said the no confidence motion showed Joseph Muscat's thirst for power.

In a brief statement, the government noted that the Opposition was proposing that the debate should be limited to just 90 minutes.

"Joseph Muscat and Anglu Farrugia do not want the government to have the opportunity and the time to explain the reasons which led to the current situation.

"In his hurry and his efforts to limit the discussion, Joseph Muscat does not even want his own colleagues to have the time to speak in Parliament," the government said.

The no-confidence motion was presented by Anglu Farrugia, deputy leader of the opposition, after it was announced by Joseph Muscat this morning.

It calls for the debate to be held on Thursday morning and for the debate to end at noon.

But the Labour Party said in a statement that Dr Gonzi was forgetting that the time it was proposing for the motion was exactly the same as proposed by Dr Gonzi in a confidence motion he presented in November.

"The country cannot remain hostage because the Prime Minister wants to cling on to power," the PL said.

Dr Muscat said on TVAM this morning that he had taken this decision because the government had failed to act to stop the uncertainty which the country was suffering.

He also criticised the prime minister for planning to go abroad next week. The PM had cancelled a trip to Isreal to be here during the Libya crisis, he said. Nero played the harp while Rome burned, but at least he stayed in Rome, Dr Muscat said.

Nationalist MP Franco Debono last week said he will vote against the government in a vote of confidence.

The government and Dr Debono appeared to be still deadlocked this morning, despite reports that some people, on their personal initiative, had tried to mediate.

Yesterday on Bondi+, which had been recorded, Dr Muscat said he was facing two choices - either to stand back and watch his political adversaries implode, which would be fine for the PL but bad for the economy, or else, if Dr Gonzi failed to call a confidence vote, he would assume the responsibility himself.

He said the country could not be kept waiting until the PN general council met on or before January 29. That would mean that Malta would have lost a full month of what was heralded as being a difficult year.

Dr Muscat said the Labour Party was ready for an early election, and it was ready the govern. It had planned for an election at the end of the legislature, he said, but it had a Plan B or go for an early poll and then to govern. It was now on Plan B.

Sign up to our free newsletters