Updated 3.45pm
Rosianne Cutajar's future is to be discussed during a meeting of the Labour Party's executive on Monday evening, as pressure mounts for the MP to resign over her leaked chats with Yorgen Fenech.
The meeting follows a parliamentary group meeting last week for which Cutajar was present and during which several Labour MPs suggested she "consider her position" within the party, sources told Times of Malta.
Other MPs suggested other options that would spare her a resignation, but it is understood that the party will use Monday's executive meeting to mount pressure on her to step down.
The controversy surrounding the Qormi MP is not officially listed on Monday evening's agenda, but sources said the subject will "surely come up".
The party executive can vote to kick any MP out of the party's parliamentary group in an extraordinary meeting, just like it did with Konrad Mizzi in 2020.
Back then, Mizzi was voted out of the party's parliamentary group after he defied party leader, Robert Abela, by refusing to tender his resignation when asked, saying he saw no reason to step down.
It is not known whether Abela has directly asked Cutajar to resign, though he implied last week that he wants the MP out.
"Nobody is bigger than the party," Abela said.
Labour MPs to attend meeting
Rumours were circulating on Monday morning that Cutajar would step down but sources suggest she could wait it out, to assess whether the party would be gutsy enough to fire her.
According to the Labour Party statute, an MP can be expelled from the party's parliamentary group "with a decision of the parliamentary group and the national executive in a specially called for meeting."
That means a decision on Cutajar's future could be taken during Monday evening's meeting, as all of the party's MPs have been summoned to attend.
The Labour Party National Executive is made up of the party leader, deputy leaders, party administration and officials, a number of MPs and representatives from all party branches. They are tasked with taking major decisions on the future of the party.
Miriam Dalli tight-lipped
On Monday morning, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli was asked about the executive meeting but would not discuss details. She would not say whether the meeting will discuss Cutajar's resignation.
Fielding questions from NET News, Dalli refused to say whether she thought Cutajar should resign saying that she has nothing to add to what prime minister Robert Abela has already said.
“We do not discuss the agenda of the executive or its decisions with you,” she said. “The Labour Party can give the statements that it feels they need to give,” Dalli said.
Chats lead to a scandal
The controversy around Rosianne Cutajar escalated last month when author Mark Camilleri published transcripts of 2,200 chats between the MP and Daphne Caruana Galizia murder mastermind suspect Yorgen Fenech.
The chats reveal an intimate relationship between the pair at a time when Cutajar was publicly dismissing calls to investigate suspected corruption linked to Fenech.
They also confirm that Fenech gave Cutajar money as part of a property deal and show Cutajar asked Fenech for help on some occasions.
Initially, Abela made it clear that he did not intend to take action against Cutajar, saying she had already resigned as parliamentary secretary over her relationship with Yorgen Fenech in 2021 and should not be made to pay a political price for a second time.
But six days later his tone was different. Speaking to Times of Malta outside Castille, he said nobody is bigger than the Labour Party and MPs must "assume responsibility" for their actions.
He refused to say whether he would be asking Cutajar to step down but indicated he expected her to do so.
"No one is bigger than the party and no one is bigger than the country,” he said.
"I am sure that members of parliament understand the responsibility they bear, the responsibility they have towards the Labour Party parliamentary group, the Labour Party, and the country in general."
'Abela is weak' - PN
The Nationalist Party said on Monday afternoon that Abela is "weak" because he had not mustered the courage to fire Cutajar from the party.
"People expect Robert Abela to walk the talk and fire Rosianne Cutajar without delay," the PN said.
"Abela's weakness and Cutajar's scandalous behaviour continue to harm our country's reputation."