Delia insists Opposition will not go on with business as usual

Opposition leader says that three-weeks on from the murder, the government had done nothing

The Opposition was today declaring that from now it would not be 'business as usual' in parliament
The Opposition was today declaring that from now it would not be 'business as usual' in parliament

Opposition leader Adrian Delia said in parliament that the Opposition was today declaring that, for it, it was not going to be 'business as usual'.

The opposition, he insisted, would be doing all that it had to do to push the government to take al the necessary measures in the wake of the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The entire parliament, he maintained, had agree that the budget was irrelevant in the aftermath of what had happened on October 16.

The whole of parliament had also agreed that what happened had created a matter of national urgent.

If the budget was irrelevant three weeks ago, and if our institutions were deemed to have been eroded, then this was still so now, he said.

Therefore, he said, he was inviting the government to do what was needed, and put in place the necessary changes which were suggested by the Opposition, such as the convening of the Constitutional Convention.

The government, however, had until now, three weeks after the murder, done nothing, he added.

In response, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that he had no problem discussing the Opposition’s proposals, including the one on the Constitutional Convention.

He emphasised that the government was completely willing to do what had to be done in the aftermath of the murder.

He also clarified that the government had never agreed that the budget was irrelevant, but that what had happened was very serious.

What risked becoming irrelevant was the Opposition, he maintained.

Earlier today, One News reported the the Opposition was planning to walk out of parliament. However sources told this newspaper that the Nationalist Party parliamentary group did discuss a walk-out in a meeting yesterday, however no decision was reached on when this was to take place.