Members of Parliament who this morning opt to abstain during the vote on the second reading of the Divorce Bill would not be included in the list of those ‘present and voting’.
The House Business Committee unanimously decided during a meeting yesterday that the list would only include the number of those who vote either for or against. Those who abstain or who choose not to vote even if present, will not be included in the list.
It was also agreed that the vote would be taken 20 minutes after the end of the debate. The Speaker would then ask those in favour of the Bill stand and their names would be called in alphabetical order. The same procedure would then follow for those who are against and those who wish to abstain.
The meeting also refused a request by The Times to take pictures during the vote. Opposition whip Joe Mizzi said he had no objection provided that the same facility was granted to other media organisations. However, no consensus was reached and the request was refused.
During the meeting, the Speaker said that while he welcomed members of the public in the strangers’ gallery, these should be smartly dressed, should not show any emotion during the debate or during the voting, and should not take any photographs.
The meeting also confirmed the procedure to be adopted when the Bill, if and when it is approved in second reading, is referred to the Committee for Consideration of Bills. This would be chaired by Deputy Speaker Censu Galea with the present chairman of the committee Frans Agius as substitute chairman.
The members of the committee will be Nationalist MPs Tonio Borg, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Francis Zammit Dimech and Labour MPs Owen Bonnici, Evarist Bartolo and Marie Louise Coleiro Preca. All the other MPs can participate in the proceedings of the committee, the first meeting of which will be held this afternoon, followed by another scheduled for tomorrow.
The committee would debate each and every clause of the Bill by July 22 and votes on all clauses would be taken on Monday July 25 during a whole sitting of the House, chaired by the Speaker.
During a whole meeting of the House later in the evening, Dr Frendo officially announced the procedure to be adopted.
Leader of the House Tonio Borg presented a procedural motion allowing the Speaker to chair the committee stage, without prejudice to the rights of the House Business Committee. It was seconded by Mr Mizzi and unanimously approved.