The proposals being discussed by the government and the opposition to change the operations of Parliament will, if implemented, give the House of Representatives a new lease of life that is long overdue.

What the government has suggested and the opposition’s reply came to light after a meeting Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had with outgoing Opposition Leader Alfred Sant and Malta Labour Party acting leader Charles Mangion on Monday.

Among the more important proposals, the government has offered the opposition the post of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, on condition that there is an agreement on pairing. This agreement will guarantee smoother operations in Parliament, more so considering that the government enjoys just a one-seat majority which could easily be overturned especially with ministers and parliamentary secretaries having so many commitments in Brussels and elsewhere.

In this regard, the government has also offered to change Parliament’s schedule from three evening sittings to two sittings on Tuesday (morning and evening) and one on Wednesday morning, with all votes taken at the end of the Wednesday sitting.

The government is also suggesting the introduction of a Prime Minister’s question time once a fortnight and changes to the quorum rule, a tool very often used by the opposition – any opposition – to disrupt parliamentary proceedings.

For its part, the opposition is playing the waiting game, and this is understandable considering that the Malta Labour Party is going through the process of electing a new leader and two deputy leaders. The party does not want to take decisions now, and is proposing to leave things as they are – including the re-appointment of Anton Tabone as Speaker for two months – until the new leadership takes over.

The MLP has even opted to temporarily leave the spokesmen shadowing ministers in their responsibilities the same as they were in the past legislature. Even this move is justified, as the party first needs to decide who will be leading it in the next few years before making up its mind on other issues.

However, some decisions need to be taken before Parliament convenes on 10 May, and therefore the government and the opposition must continue to negotiate until a compromise is found.

It is, like anything else, a give and take game, and it is in the interest of both sides to see that they come to terms.

For the government, it is important that it ensures that Parliament’s functions are at their most efficient, that government work is not disrupted and that its international commitments are maintained.

On the other hand, the opposition must show that it is willing to cooperate fully, that its intentions are not to create unnecessary problems in the workings of Parliament and that it sees the possible appointment of a Speaker from the opposition party as a sign from the government that now is the time for politics to be done in a more mature way.

The introduction of a Prime Minister’s question time will go a long way to give the opposition the opportunity to raise all matters that it deems appropriate at the time, and is surely an idea that should be pursued even if other proposals fall through.

One other thing that the two sides should be discussing is to limit the amount of time afforded to MPs to deliver speeches. There have been several occasions when MPs repeat themselves over and over again to fill up the time they are allotted. We are sure that Parliament would be more interesting if the time allowed for each MP is reduced.

But this, perhaps, is a trivial matter when compared to the proposals that are being discussed. It is hoped that the government and the opposition reach some sort of middle ground that would allow Parliament to run smoothly and at the same time give the opposition the chance to play a bigger role in the running of the country.