J. Martinelli in his letter ‘May I ask, how?’ (TMID, Monday 30 January) took Mr C. Galea to task for having said that Dr Gonzi had lost his majority in Parliament. Mr Martinelli based his argument on the fact that the Opposition’s motion was defeated by the Speaker’s casting vote.

Lawrence Gonzi knows – and Mr Martinelli knows too – that unless he can convince Franco Debono to return within the fold of his parliamentary group, he does not have the necessary majority to pass through Parliament any legislation without the casting vote of the Speaker. And if Dr Debono returns to his original demands – the resignation of certain ministers and the “clique of evil” – and decides to vote against a money bill, Dr Gonzi will be left with no option but to walk to the President’s Palace and ask the President to dissolve Parliament. But then we may miss the holding of the farcical contest for the PN’s leadership.

■ Eddy Privitera

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