UPDATED - Adds Labour call for referendum debate on Tuesday
Opposition whip Joe Mizzi has presented a motion in Parliament calling for the House to debate on Tuesday a motion calling for a referendum on the introduction of divorce.
The motion for the holding of a referendum was presented last Monday by Opposition leader Joseph Muscat.
Mr Mizzi's request came after the House Business Committee yesterday could not agree on a date for the debate and the Speaker rejected two requests by the Opposition for the debate to be held today.
The Nationalist Party said yesterday that the Prime Minister was ready to have the debate held next week.
Meanwhile, the prime minister today had a series of meetings with Nationalist MPs on the possible referendum, including when it will be held and what question would be put.
Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando said when contacted after meeting Dr Gonzi that he would actually campaign against a 'yes' vote in a referendum for the introduction of divorce if the question put to the people was a simple yes or no to divorce.
The Nationalist MP said: "I do not want to give any legislator now or in the future a blank cheque to potentially use this as an excuse to introduce a Las Vegas style quick fix divorce."
Outside Castille, Dr Pullicino Orlando described his meeting as 'frank and friendly' . He confirmed that Nationalist MPs were being granted a free vote, and he insisted it was never his intention to threaten the stability of the government.
MPs Jean Pierre Farrugia, Ninu Zammit, Philip Mifsud, Karl Gouder, Jesmond Mugliett and Louis Deguara were among callers at Castille.
Informed sources said that apart from the referendum question, Dr Gonzi had also sought the views of MPs on the referendum date, which his own preference appearing to be for a Saturday in May.
The meetings followed an announcement by the PN yesterday that Dr Gonzi would be meeting the MPs before proposing the debate in parliament on an Opposition motion on the holding of a divorce referendum.
The Opposition yesterday insisted that the debate should be held tomorrow week, but Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, speaking for the government, objected, saying the PN parliamentary group still had to meet to discuss it and, especially, the referendum question which the PL had proposed. A date, therefore, could not be set at that stage.
Dr Pullicino Orlando said he agreed with the referendum question as proposed by the PL, because it reflected what was in the Bill he had moved. He also pointed out that the prime minister himself had said the question should reflect the contents if the bill. He agreed that the motion should be debated as soon as possible.
Dr Borg disagreed with the Nationalist MP on the referendum question.
The Opposition later made formal requests for the debate on the referendum motion to be held today, but the requests were rejected in two rulings by the Speaker, Michael Frendo.
On the sidelines of the parliamentary sitting yesterday afternoon, Dr Gonzi had a meeting with Opposition leader Joseph Muscat where the referendum question was discussed but no agreement was reached. Dr Gonzi reportedly proposed that the people be asked whether or not they agreed with the introduction of divorce.
In the evening, however, the PN said that Dr Gonzi was ready to have the debate on the motion next week.
The referendum question as proposed by the Labour Party, and supported by Dr Pullicino Orlando, asks the people whether they agree with the introduction of divorce where couples have to be separated for four years before they can become eligible, and there have to be proper arrangements on maintenance and child care as laid down in the Bill currently before parliament.