JPO: 'questionable if PM's procrastination on divorce debate is in national interest'

Speaking to MaltaToday at the end of a rowdy parliamentary sitting during which Speaker Michael Frendo rejected a call by the Opposition to hold a debate on a PL motion for a referendum on divorce, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando said that “despite the Prime Minister’s insistence that the debate on divorce be held as soon as possible ‘in the national interest’, it is debatable whether this procrastination is in the national interest.”

Earlier in the day, Pullicino Orlando had challenged Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg to agree on holding the debate on the PL motion since there was a majority in the House that wanted it.

He also warned that he would not accept any changes to the proposed questions for the referendum, as suggested in the motion and are the main elements of the private members’ bill he has moved before parliament.

As the day unfolded, and government and opposition reached an impasse on when to hold the debate, the Prime Minister held an urgent but short meeting with Opposition leader Joseph Muscat where he proposed to change the referendum question to a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

The meeting was held during the time MPs waited for the Speaker’s ruling over Labour’s call for a vote in the House to decide on tomorrow's agenda, which includes a debate on Labour's motion that calls for a referendum on divorce.

Joseph Muscat turned down the Prime Minister's proposal and stressed that the referendum should be responsible and attain to the main elements of the bill.

Informed sources said that the Prime Minister has also engaged a mediator to seek a compromise with MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, who in turn has refused to accept the proposal.

The call for a vote was made following an earlier ruling by the Speaker that rejected another call by Labour Whip Joe Mizzi for the debate on the holding of a divorce referendum to be held in the House tomorrow.

He said that since no agreement on the date of the debate had been reached at a meeting of the House Business Committee, he was calling for the House to discuss the motion tomorrow, which, in terms of standing orders, is the day reserved for private business.

He accused the government of “obstructing” and said that there was a clear majority in the House in favour of holding the debate tomorrow.