Labour calls for motion debate on Tuesday as PM Gonzi summons MPs to Castille

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi  reportedly discussed the current situation on his bench in Parliament and sought consensus on the decisions he was to take..

Among those summoned was divorce bill promoter Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.

Emerging from the meeting, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando told this newspaper that he had had “a frank discussion” with the Prime Minister “on divorce”.

He would not reveal any details of his discussion. “I have no intention of bringing down the government or threaten its stability. We are only talking about introducing divorce in Malta,” Pullicino Orlando said.

The backbencher has expressed support with a Labour motion to hold a referendum. After opposition from Leader of the House Tonio Borg to have the motion debated, Prime Ministe Lawrence Gonzi yesterday evening said he would like to see the motion debated next week.

Now he is reportedly discussing with MPs on the course of action he wishes to take after the week was dominated with a series of U-turns from the Nationalist side.

Asked to comment on reports that the Prime Minister has proposed to Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat that that the referendum question would be brought down to a simple 'Yes' or 'No' Pullicino Orlando stressed that he is totally against such a question.

"Should that be the case I will campaign for a 'NO' as it would practically be giving any government a blank cheque to introduce a Las Vegas style of divorce, whereas the bill before Parliament prevents such a thing."

On Saturday the PN executive and parliamentary group voted in favour of an anti-divorce stand. Gonzi said MPs had a free vote on the divorce bill proposed by backbencher Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.

But the PN’s resolution also called for a referendum to be held only if the bill is passed through parliament. Gonzi said that while he would against the bill, he hoped the people would vote in a referendum on divorce.

The stand conflicted with his first declaration on the matter, when the bill was presented, when he said that the introduction of divorce should be done by referendum.

Then on Monday, Opposition leader Joseph Muscat presented a motion for both sides of the House to decide on a referendum question on divorce. On Tuesday the two sides locked horns to decide a date on the debate, first within the house business committee, then for the plenary.

Speaker Michael Frendo turned down the Opposition’s request for the motion to be debated this week. Then Pullicino Orlando stated he would back the Opposition’s motion for a referendum. Later, Gonzi held a private meeting with Joseph Muscat where he proposed a referendum question that would simply ask the electorate whether it agreed with divorce or not.

Later in the evening, Labour issued a statement proclaiming that its motion had the support of the majority of the House, and accused Gonzi of resorting to delaying tactics to avoid an embarrassing showdown.

Finally yesterday evening, Gonzi once again dramatically changed tack when he announced that he was ready to hold a debate on the Labour motion in the coming week.