A former union leader, Gejtu Vella, was one of the mediators who tried to broker some form of peace deal between the Prime Minister and Nationalist backbencher Franco Debono before Thursday’s vote.

When contacted, Mr Vella laughed and insisted he had no comment to make. He reiterated his “no comment” when asked whether he denied being involved in talks with Dr Debono.

Sources told The Sunday Times that Mr Vella talked to Dr Debono several times over the past few weeks to persuade the MP from voting against the government.

Mr Vella stepped down from the post of Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin general secretary last year.

On Thursday, Dr Debono abstained on the no-confidence motion presented by the Opposition.

In a short statement justifying his decision, Dr Debono said that had the ministers who underperformed shouldered responsibility the situation would not have arrived to that point. In the weeks leading up to the vote, the PN’s attitude towards Dr Debono oscillated from an outright call for the MPs resignation by the parliamentary group and executive to a more endearing attitude by MP Edwin Vassallo on national television to a stern telling off by MP Beppe Fenech Adami on radio.

A petition that was supposed to have done the rounds in the fifth electoral district asking for Dr Debono’s resignation also fizzled away.

It is unclear what attempts were made to reach out to Dr Debono and what the final aim of the exercise was but Mr Vella was unofficially the person entrusted to speak to the MP.

Whether Mr Vella was the one to persuade Dr Debono to abstain rather than vote against the government still has to be seen but the MP’s decision has bought the PN time.