Parliament yesterday came closer to reaching an agreement on the schedule of crucial votes being demanded by the Opposition but a final decision was postponed to tomorrow.
During a tense House Business Committee meeting attended by maverick Nationalist MP Franco Debono, both sides came close to reaching a compromise suggested by Speaker Michael Frendo for a vote this month.
Former leader of the House Tonio Borg did most of the government's negotiating instead of leader of the House Carm Mifsud Bonnici, since Dr Mifsud Bonnici is facing one of the motions of censure.
Dr Borg began by suggesting June 4 as the date in which the Opposition's motion calling for Dr Mifsud Bonnici's resignation could begin to be discussed. He also suggested the motion calling for the resignation of Malta's permanent representative to the EU Richard Cachia Caruana be voted on in Parliament within a week of his grilling in Parliament's foreign affairs committee.
The Opposition said the June 4 date was too far away. Deputy leader Anġlu Farrugia said Labour was prepared to have the vote after the Budget vote on May 9, but not so much later since the motion was presented in December.
Meanwhile, Dr Debono rapped the government and said the votes on the motions should be held immediately. He said it was irresponsible of the government to go to a Budget vote while one of its ministers was facing a motion of censure.
If the other House business was so important the government should not have taken a four-week recess in Easter and the government should not have avoided a vote for three months, he said.
This haste to decide the Budget vote on May 9 was "deceitful", he said, pointing out that the government had ample time to move this vote since December.
Dr Debono said it was also shameful that the government did not move reform on Parliament's standing orders and that it did not take up his Private Member's Bill on party financing.
"How can we go to an election, whenever it comes, without having done this?"
At that point, Dr Farrugia noted that there was a majority in Parliament which wanted the motions to be discussed immediately.
Dr Borg immediately said he was prepared to schedule Dr Debono's draft bill on party financing for discussion but said there were "constitutional" items in the law which required agreement with the Opposition.
At that point, Dr Frendo said there were only four weeks between May 9 and June 4 so he proposed May 23 as a compromise. When the Opposition said it was willing to consider this date, the session was suspended for both sides to clarify their positions.
After the short recess, the government agreed to the May 23 date and promised a vote would be held no later than May 30. But the Opposition said the vote should not take place much after May 23 and the debate should either start before that date or else a vote should be taken within a couple of days.
Dr Debono's position softened significantly after the suspension and he seemed pleased that May 30 was given as the latest date for a vote.
The government also said the foreign affairs committee could meet on May 14 and end within a reasonable time.
Labour MP Joe Mizzi refused to fully agree with the timetables being suggested.
Dr Frendo suggested that both sides continue to deliberate until another House Business Committee meeting to be held tomorrow evening. All sides agreed.
Therefore, the Opposition still retains its right to demand an immediate vote on its two motions by calling an immediate vote which could be supported by Dr Debono.
However, if a final agreement is reached tomorrow, the motions would be debated later this month, after the crucial Budget vote on May 9, which, if the government loses the vote, would trigger an early election.