Staff members will start migrating to the new Parliament next week, according to Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation chairman Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi.

It is hoped the first sitting will be held in the new building on May 4 when committee meetings will also start to be held there.

Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi accompanied Opposition leader Simon Busuttil on a tour of the new Renzo Piano building, which is almost completed.

Dr Busuttil said the facilities for MPs, including the offices of the Opposition, were a big improvement on those at the Grandmaster’s Palace.

The interior of the new building at the entrance of the capital is dominated by sleek white cabinets and tables, glass, and sharp, modern edges.

The plenary chamber will allow electronic voting to take place in the future.

It also offers video conferencing facilities and will be equipped with two translation booths in the floor directly below it.

Eventually, the library and archives will be transferred from the Grandmaster’s Palace.

The strangers’ gallery accommodates 150 people and the media have 25 desks at their disposal.

The ground floor will host an exhibition about the history of Parliament.

The project was meant to be inaugurated last October and the government has slapped contractors with a hefty daily fine. The delays were blamed on the delivery of stone and furniture and the complexity of the design.

Dr Busuttil described the City Gate project as a monument and a “gift” to Maltese culture by a renowned and highly sought after architect.

As he walked outside, he remarked on metal plates stuck to the ground marking the place where the monti stalls will stand. “I absolutely disagree with having the flea market exactly adjacent to the Parliament building.

“This is an insult to our culture, is unbecoming this project and does not honour the Maltese. In such a city, which is celebrating its 450th anniversary, we should be able to find a compromise and relocate to an alternative spot,” Dr Busuttil said.