Last updated at 1 a.m. on Tuesday --

The House of Representatives tonight took seven hours to approve the minutes of last Thursday's sitting, with members of the opposition raising several objections and repeatedly moving amendments and calling divisions.

The minutes had recorded the sitting of last Thursday's sitting - which also continued into the early hours - when the House debated an Opposition motion on the power station extension contract. That sitting had ended in controversy over the voting.

The controversy continued today. Immediately after the prayer at the start of the sitting, Mr Speaker Michael Frendo said the Chair regretted how matters had developed on Thursday night (during the voting on the Opposition motion on the power station extension contract) and wanted to make a statement.

Interjecting on a point of order, Opposition whip Joe Mizzi said the Chair had a conflict of interest in this issue. Furthermore, such statements could not be made at this stage and the minutes had to be approved first.

Dr Frendo said Standing Orders did not regulate this matter, and he therefore referred to Erskine May (the guidebook on parliamentary procedure) which did not exclude a statement at this stage. He said he wanted to make a statement over the procedure to be following in the future on voting

After various exchanges, Dr Frendo suspended the sitting to consider his ruling.

After some 30 minutes, he ruled that Standing Orders made no reference as to when the Chair could make a statement to the House and it appeared that the Chair could make a statement at any stage. Furthermore there was no conflict of interest in the Chair deciding to make a statement on voting procedures. He added, however, that the Chair was reserving its right to make its statement at a later stage.

Amid further exchanges Mr Mizzi said the Speaker had violated the Constitution by giving a ruling on a matter in which it had a conflict of interest. This was something which the Opposition could contest in court. Dr Frendo could not occupy the Chair until this was settled.

Leader of the House Tonio Borg said Mr Mizzi was criticising the Chair for giving a ruling which he himself had requested.

Mr Mizzi said the Chair should deliver a ruling on whether the constitution had been broken.

The sitting was suspended for a second time at 6.50 p.m.

At 8.50 p.m. when the sitting resumed, the Chair said it was its duty to rule and it would be a shortcoming on its part if it not to rule on matters related to the proceedings of the House. The Chair could in such circumstances rule on matters related to the Constitution.

The House then moved to the correction of the minutes.

Labour MP Anglu Farrugia called for an amendment to the minutes on how the voting took place on Thursday night. He read a sworn declaration by Justyne Caruana saying that during the voting she voted in favour of the Opposition motion. He also read a sworn declaration by Joseph Muscat saying that he had heard Dr Caruana vote 'yes' .

Dr Farrugia went on to present similar declarations by all the Labour MPs.

He also presented a recording to show that Dr Caruana voted 'yes'.

Foreign Minister Borg said the minutes as presented to the House were accurate and did not need to be amended.

Dr Farrugia then moved another amendment to delete references in the minutes to the second vote taken on Thursday night, saying that vote was ultra vires.

The amendments were moved for a vote. The first vote was taken at 9.25 p.m. and the first opposition amendment was defeated. with 35 against and 34 in favour.

The vote on the second amendment was held at 9.45 p.m. When the House reconvened, the second opposition amendment was also defeated with 35 votes against and 34 in favour.

Labour MP Alfred Sant complained about wording used in the minutes about the Clerk and the Clerk Assistant having 'reported' and said the minutes should specify who they reported to.

Dr Borg said this part of the minutes had been subject to a vote already and could not be discussed further.

The sitting was suspended for a ruling.

The sitting resumed at 10.40 p.m. The Speaker said Dr Sant was in order in that this was a correct time to raise any objections to the minutes but the Chair itself could not amend the minutes once they had been presented to the House.

Dr Sant then moved an amendment.

Dr Justyne Caruana said that if the vote had not been clear last Thursday, why had the Clerk not raised her doubts immediately? She also asked who had raised doubts about her and said she would not allow anyone to frame her or lie about her. She said the minutes mentioned her but not others. This was discrimination with complicity between the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chair. She therefore demanded that her name be removed.

The sitting was suspended for 20 minutes at 10.50 p.m. for the vote on Dr Sant's amendment.

Dr Sant's amendment was defeated with 35 votes against and 34 in favour.

Dr Caruana reiterated her call for a ruling on the points she had raised. The sitting was suspended again at 11.15 p.m.

At 11.30 p.m. the Speaker said that since the Clerk was abroad for health reasons, the Chair would give a ruling in the future.

Carmelo Abela (MLP) said the minutes could not be approved unless the ruling was given.

The Speaker said no amendment was being requested and therefore the House could proceed.

Mr Abela said the Chair could give its ruling in another sitting and the minutes could be approved then.

Mr Speaker said the Chair had given ample opportunities for amendments and he did not agree with his argument.

Dr Caruana said she was moving an amendment to remove her name from the minutes because the names of other MPs had not been smeared in this way. This was discrimination.

The sitting was suspended at 11.40 p.m. for the vote.

The vote was taken at midnight when Dr Caruana's amendment was defeated 35-34.

Dr Sant said that the pending ruling requested by Dr Caruana could affect the minutes. If the minutes were to be approved, how would they be amended, if necessary, in the future, on the basis of the ruling once the Chair could not amend the minutes itself?

The Speaker said the MPs had been given every opportunity to move amendments and time had come to proceed to the final vote on the minutes. He did not think, at this stage, that the ruling would affect the minutes, as Dr Caruana had requested information.

When Dr Sant insisted on his point, the Speaker, at 12.13 a.m. suspending the sitting to give a decision.

At 12.35 a.m. the Speaker in his ruling said Dr Caruana had requested information. He said that in terms of Standing Orders the Chair was requesting the final vote on the minutes.

The sitting was suspended at 12.36 for the final vote on the minutes.

The minutes were approved without any of the opposition amendments, just before 1 a.m. with 35 votes in favour and 34 against.

The House will meet again today (Tuesday) to debate a motion to authorise lending to Greece - a debate which should have been held yesterday.