Parliament last night held an urgent debate on the outline application for an extension of the power station, with no vote being taken on the matter.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Louis Galea, upheld a request by Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat for an immediate debate on a definite matter of urgent and national importance since Mepa would be considering the outline application for an extension of the power station today.

Towards the end of the debate, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said the debate was an opposition attempt to influence the board of Mepa. He called on the board to feel free to take whatever decision it deemed best, adding that the opposition was not taking the best stand in the national interest.

Dr Muscat said that once Dr Gonzi had decided that Parliament should not debate the opposition motion on the power station before the Auditor General presented his report on the contract, then Mepa should have desisted as well from discussing the application.

The opposition was neither interfering in nor influencing Mepa decisions. It just wanted Mepa to take note of the sentiments of the House, Dr Muscat said.

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