MaltaToday online poll | Overwhelming majority tell Prime Minister to call elections

Respondents to maltatoday.com.mt's online poll believe that the Prime Minister's next move should be only one: call early elections.

In less than 24 hours, almost 1,000 respondents participated in the poll with 70% insisting that Lawrence Gonzi has now lost the one-seat majority he never had and should therefore go for elections.

On the other hand, only 20% feel that the Nationalist government should complete the full-term of its legislature. According to some 200 respondents, now that Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando has pledged his support, Malta didn't need any further shocks to its system.

Some 9% also believe that this is an opportunity for Pullicino Orlando to bolster the legislative programme.

The Nationalist government has yet to complete an agenda of laws from its electoral programme, including the Whistleblower's Acct, the cohabitation law and IVF law.

In a not so surprise turn of events, Pullicino Orlando on Thursday resigned from the Nationalist Party but retained his seat in parliament as an independent MP. Together with Gonzi, he has now formed a 'coalition' to make sure that the PN impliments its electoral programme to the full.

Since the start of the political crisis threatened by Gonzi's one-seat majority in parliament, the Prime Minister has been adamant that he won't seek early elections.

He has always insisted that the PN has been elected to serve the full-term of five years and he will keep fighting to the end.

But as things stand today, Gonzi may still have to face another problem. Rebel backbencher Franco Debono has claimed he will not be supporting government in its Budget vote in November if Austin Gatt doesn't resign from the Cabinet.

On the other hand, last January Gonzi had urged Gatt to concentrate on the PN's electoral campaign if he were to resign as minister. At the time, Gatt had been facing a motion censuring him over the public transport reform.

Also, it has yet to be seen whether Gonzi enjoys the support of the majority in parliament. Asked whether he would be reconvening Parliament before 1 October - when Parliament meets again from its summer recess - the Prime Minister said that this decision was up to Speaker Michael Frendo.

However, Frendo has been cautious about it, insisting that he was following the issue closely to see how it will continue to develop.