The Nationalist Party has accused the government of using parliamentary procedure to prevent the House from debating an Opposition bill aimed at implementing recommendations arising from the public inquiry into the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The statement was issued by the PN on Monday following a meeting of the House Business Committee, where the party was represented by Opposition Whip Ivan Castillo and MP Michael Piccinino.
According to the PN, the Opposition had intended to use the time allocated for Private Members' Business to debate its so-called Omnibus Bill, which seeks to address recommendations made by the public inquiry.
The party said that, under the current arrangements, Parliament's Standing Orders provide regular time for Private Members' Business in the absence of a Procedural Motion regulating the allocation of parliamentary business during the legislature.
The PN said the government has yet to present such a motion, despite what it described as delays since the start of the legislature.
During Monday's meeting, the Government Whip reportedly outlined the planned parliamentary agenda without initially referring to a Procedural Motion, according to the Opposition.
The PN said it was only after its representatives informed the committee that they intended to use the Private Members' Business sitting to debate their bill that the Government Whip announced that a Procedural Motion would be presented on Monday.
According to the PN's account of the government's proposal, the motion would reserve the first 90 days allocated to Private Members' Business for motions presented by government MPs who are not members of Cabinet.
The Opposition argues that this would prevent its bill on the implementation of the public inquiry's recommendations from being debated during that period.
The PN described the move as an attempt to use the government's parliamentary majority to restrict debate rather than facilitate discussion of proposals arising from what it described as an issue of national importance.
The party said it would continue pressing for Parliament to be given the opportunity to debate and decide on its proposals.