Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant this morning called on Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi to take the honourable decision and resign in the wake of the Panama scandal.
In a Facebook post, Dr Sant said this would be in Dr Mizzi's own personal and political interest and in the interests of his family, the Labour Party and the government.
His resignation would also be in the national interest, and would also enable him to defend himself better.
Dr Sant said the Prime Minister had shown prudence and an "admirable sense of fair play" over the Panama leaks.
However, he said, it was not right to burden the Prime Minister with what should have been a clear and inevitable decision.
The comment comes 24 hours after Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told the party's general meeting yesterday that action would be taken but only after an audit of Dr Mizzi's financial affairs was concluded.
In his maiden speech as party deputy leader last Thursday, Dr Mizzi had passed the buck about his future to the Prime Minister saying he would accept any decision in his regard.
Dr Mizzi and the Prime Minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri have so far refused to resign, insisting they did nothing wrong.
In a reaction, Nationalist Party Deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami praised Dr Sant for having the courage to speak his mind on the matter.
He said the former prime minister had the Labour Party and the country’s best interests at heart when he weighed in on the Panama papers.
The sentiment that Dr Mizzi is harming not only the Labour Party, but the government and the country on the whole is shared by a large number of people who should not be ignored- Fenech Adami
“Alfred Sant has joined a chorus of voices who feel Konrad Mizzi should have stepped down. The sentiment that Dr Mizzi is harming not only the Labour Party, but the government and the country on the whole is shared by a large number of people who should not be ignored,” Dr Fenech Adami said.
Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Arnold Cassola said Dr Sant was the first PL member of parliament to have the courage to state the obvious.
"We look forward to similar public declarations from ministers like George Vella, Louis Grech, Varist Bartolo, Leo Brincat and Edward Scicluna, who have already expressed their views internally. They need to speak up openly for the good of our country," Prof. Cassola said.