The “important decisions” expected to be taken during tomorrow’s Nationalist Party executive meeting may be delayed due to internal disagreement about disciplining the party’s rebel MPs.

While the Prime Minister said crucial decisions would be taken at the meeting, the agenda lists the issue as “general political situation”, sources said.

Some members of the executive have interpreted this to mean that there will be a general discussion on the way forward, where everyone will have their say and actual decisions will be postponed to later sittings.

The sources said there was a lot of confusion and “mixed messages” about how to deal with Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, Jesmond Mugliett and Franco Debono, who were publicly condemned by the party for disobeying the Whip in recent weeks.

Some PN members want strong action to be taken, especially with Dr Pullicino Orlando who waited until the last minute to say he would vote with Labour against Malta’s EU Ambassador, Richard Cachia Caruana.

The only action that would satisfy some members of the executive would be to strike the rebels off the list of PN candidates for the next election or to kick them out of the party completely. However, this causes several complications.

Some are arguing that Mr Mugliett should be treated differently because he only abstained in the motion against Mr Cachia Caruana.

Others note that Dr Debono had made his intentions to vote against former Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici amply clear for months, forcing his sacking.

He had also filed a private member’s motion on justice and home affairs, which some argue should have been brought to Parliament for discussion before the vote on Labour’s motion.

While Mr Mugliett and Dr Pullicino Orlando have already said they would not stand in the next election, Dr Debono has made no such declaration. Striking him off the list some eight months before the next election is due would create unnecessary complications for the government if it wanted to survive until the end of the legislature.

The sources said one way of going about these complications was for the party to issue a warning to the three MPs, threatening they would be kicked out of the party or crossed off the candidates’ list if they ignored the Whip again. But this would not satisfy more loyal MPs who believe the three rebels have crossed the line.