As the debate concerning the government motion to condemn Nationalist Party MP Karol Aquilina resumed on Tuesday, the Opposition MPs walked out of the parliamentary session in protest and left only the Labour Party MPs present in the room to participate in the debate.

As happened during the Monday parliamentary session, Speaker Anglu Farrugia also stepped out of the room as part of the motion concerned his role as the Speaker of the House. The Deputy Speaker, David Agius, is a PN MP and therefore was also not present in the room, which meant that PL MP Carmelo Abela presided over the debate.

The PN's actions were a repetition of what it did yesterday at the start of the debate.

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech on Monday described the motion as a "fascist" and "vindictive" political vendetta towards the Opposition and towards all Maltese and Gozitan citizens who have now seen a "dangerous step" by the government who has "taken over" the institutions.

The controversy stemmed from a series of heated exchanges in Parliament. The Labour Party had said that Aquilina had accused Speaker Farrugia of bias and used terms such as "obscene" and "unable to think," even suggesting that the Speaker should sit with government members.

In response, the Labour Party tabled a motion to condemn Aquilina's behaviour, emphasizing that despite the Opposition's criticisms, it had not appealed any of the 67 rulings delivered by Farrugia in the current legislature.

After the Opposition walked out, government MPs took the whole sitting for themselves, using their speeches to back the government's motion.

In comments on Net TV later, Grech said that the government wants to use Parliament for their propaganda, so much so that the government chose to extend the one-sided debate to two sittings.

Grech said that the Opposition will walk out again on Tuesday in protest against a motion that is nothing but an attack on democracy by a government that wants to eliminate the Opposition from Parliament.

In a statement issued to explain its position, the PN said that if anyone is abdicating their responsibility, it is Robert Abela and the Ministers who are supposed to be there to offer solutions but are instead in Parliament only to protect their own interests.

"The Government is abdicating its responsibility to work towards easing the burden of the rising cost of living.

"The Government is abdicating its responsibility to address traffic issues.

"The Government is abdicating its responsibility to improve the environment.

"The Government is abdicating its responsibility to ensure that Maltese workers have job opportunities, as in 13 years, it has failed to attract even a single new economic sector to the country.

"The Government is abdicating its responsibility to provide a functioning infrastructure, instead leaving people with power cuts, overflowing sewage, and damaged roads.

"The Government is abdicating its responsibility to serve the people because it is too busy serving itself," the PN said.

Robert Abela and his associates are only comfortable going to Parliament to talk among themselves about themselves, the statement added.

"That is the difference between Abela and the Government he leads, and the PN," the party added.

All Partit Nazzjonalista MPs continue to work for the people, while Abela and his associates only work for their own interests. And the people are beginning to understand this, the PN said.

If Robert Abela's Government intends to keep using Parliament to distance itself from the people with fascist motions like the one it presented yesterday, the people can be certain that the PN will continue using Parliament solely for the benefit of the people.

The PN said it has no intention of listening to government members who, instead of representing the people, have ended up representing only their own interests, using Parliament for their propaganda, as they only care about speaking among themselves.

Therefore, after Abela chose yesterday to adjourn Parliament and prolong a discussion he invented just to speak alone, as it did yesterday, today the Nationalist Opposition will once again walk out of Parliament during this debate, the PN said.

The PN said it is not willing to participate in a discussion on a motion that is nothing more than an attack on democracy by a government that now even seeks to eliminate the Opposition from Parliament.

In comments given to journalists after he and the Partit Nazzjonalista Parliamentary Group walked out of Parliament this evening, PN Leader Bernard Grech stated that Robert Abela is attempting to do to the Nationalist Opposition what he has already done to our institutions: the judiciary, the media, former judges, and anyone who criticises him or disagrees with him.

Bernard Grech emphasised that as long as the Government remains obstinate with an unacceptable Motion, believing that having a majority gives it the right to try and crush the minority, the PN will continue to refuse to be part of this dismantling of democracy.

The Partit Nazzjonalista will continue working for the Maltese people and leave the Government to talk to itself, about itself, he said.

PL statement

In a statement, the Labour Party said MP Karol Aquilina anointed himself leader and left Bernard Grech out in the cold.

Yesterday, Bernard Grech walked out of Parliament, with Karol Aquilina, the true leader of the PN closely behind him, breathing down his neck. They were flanked by a couple of PN MPs, the PL said.

Today, Bernard Grech walked out of Parliament again. "This time, alone. Isolated. Defeated."

Karol Aquilina used Bernard Grech for his own political ends, anointed himself leader, and then left him out in the cold, the PL said.