Parliament is today expected to reach a decision on when to debate two contentious Opposition motions which could gain the support of Nationalist MP Franco Debono.

Labour was prepared to have the justice and home affairs vote after the Budget vote on May 9, but not as late as June

A meeting of the House Business Committee on Monday night brought the two sides close to reaching a compromise proposed by Speaker Michael Frendo, for the motion on justice and home affairs to be debated on May 23.

However, a final decision was postponed until today when the committee will reconvene at 6.30 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Opposition could still demand an immediate debate of its two motions, after having given notice of two adjournment motions last week.

This could force the Speaker to give a ruling on whether to allow the Opposition to amend the parliamentary agenda, which is traditionally set by the government.

However, with both sides inching closer to an agreement over the agenda, the likelihood is that the motions will be debated after May 9th’s crucial Budget vote which, if lost by the government, could trigger an early election.

Dr Debono, who last January abstained from a motion of confidence in the government, has repeatedly warned against holding the Budget vote before the one dealing with justice and home affairs.

Monday’s meeting began with the government side proposing June 4 to start debating the motion calling for the resignation of Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici who, until January, was responsible for justice and home affairs.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici’s portfolio was changed to Ministry for Home and Parliamentary Affairs, where he was also placed as Leader of the House, responsible for setting Parliament’s agenda.

But it was his deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg, the former Leader of the House, who has handled most of the government’s negotiations at the House Business Committee, to avoid a conflict of interest with his successor.

Besides a June 4 debate, Dr Borg also suggested a timeframe for a vote regarding the second Opposition motion which calls for the resignation of Malta’s permanent representative to the EU Richard Cachia Caruana over Partnership for Peace dealings outlined in Wikileaks cables.

Dr Borg said a vote in the House could take place within a week of Mr Cachia Caruana’s public grilling at Parliament’s foreign affairs committee, which the government had proposed last week.

The Opposition demanded a more specific time frame for the debate to censure Mr Cachia Caruana (who has also been criticised strongly by Dr Debono in recent weeks) and said the June 4 date was “too far away”.

Deputy leader Anġlu Farrugia said Labour was prepared to have the justice and home affairs vote after the Budget vote on May 9, but not as late as June, seeing as the motion was presented last December.

He was supported by Dr Debono, who rapped the government for delaying House business and went a step further, saying the votes on the motions should be held immediately. He said it was irresponsible of the government to go to a budget vote while one of its ministers was facing a motion of censure. This haste to decide the Budget vote on May 9 was “deceitful”, he said, pointing out that the government had had ample time to move this vote since December.

Dr Debono said it was also shameful that the government did not move reform on Parliament’s standing orders and that it did not take up his Private Member’s Bill on party financing.

“How can we go to an election, whenever it comes, without having done this?”

At that point, Dr Farrugia noted there was a majority in Parliament that wanted the motions to be discussed immediately, while Dr Borg said he was also prepared to schedule Dr Debono’s draft bill on party financing for discussion.

Stopping the tense discussions, Dr Frendo said there were only four weeks between May 9 and June 4 so he proposed May 23 as a compromise.

When the Opposition said it was willing to consider this date, the session was suspended for both sides to clarify their positions.

After the short recess, the government agreed to the May 23 date and promised a vote would be held no later than May 30.

But the Opposition said the vote should not take place so long after May 23 and the debate should either start before that date or else a vote should be taken within a couple of days.

Dr Debono’s position softened significantly after the suspension and he seemed pleased that May 30 had been given as the latest date for a vote.

The government also said Mr Cachia Caruana could face the foreign affairs committee on May 14 and a vote would follow within a reasonable time.

Labour MP Joe Mizzi refused to fully agree with the timetables being suggested and Dr Frendo said the committee would reconvene this evening.