The government suffered its second body blow in as many months this evening when an Opposition motion calling for the resignation of Richard Cachia Caruana was approved by Parliament, with Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando voting with the Opposition. Nationalist MP Jesmond Mugliett abstained.

The first blow was the motion of no confidence in Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, which was passed after Nationalist MP Franco Debono voted with the Opposition. The minister resigned immediately.

Dr Debono voted with the government tonight but Dr Pullicino Orlando voted with the Opposition after hitting out at Mr Cachia Caruana for showing disdain for democratic norms (see separate story).

The vote was passed with 35 votes in favour of the Opposition motion and 33 against as Jesmond Mugliette abstained.

Commenting after the vote, Mr Mugliett  said Parliament should have been respected and the issue (about PfP and access to documents) should have been debated there.

Mr Cachia Caruana has been Malta's representative to the EU since accession, having previously been Malta's Chief Negotiator.

Mr Cachia Caruana has attended Cabinet meetings regularly for the past 21 years, enjoying ministerial rank.

He has been at the heart of the PN and one of its main strategists since the mid 1980s and was the closest collaborator of Eddie Fenech Adami and then Lawrence Gonzi.

The Opposition motion was mades on a document leaked by Wikileaks about meeting which took place in November 2004 and which, the Opposition claimed, showed how Mr Cachia Caruana had been plotting to take Malta back into PfP behind parliament's back. The government and Mr Cachia Caruana himself denied the claims, insisting the talks were only about access to Malta for Nato-EU security documents. Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said the Opposition's motion was unjustified as it was not substantiated,