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Alternattiva Demokratika reiterated its call for divorce in a courtesy visit to the new bishop of Gozo, Mgr Mario Grech, yesterday.
“We would like to dispel any misunderstanding about marriage and family life,” AD chairman Harry Vassallo was reported to have said in a press release issued after the visit. “We are in favour of family unity and would like to see stronger families, under less economic pressure so as to avoid the ills of separations that are increasing in our country.
“Although we do not encourage divorce, we recognise the fact that we do have legal separations between couples and that it makes no logical sense to refuse divorce to persons who, as a last resort, want to divorce after all attempts at reconciliation fail. From a legal secular perspective it makes even less sense in view of the fact that the Maltese legal system has recognised foreign divorces also between Maltese couples, married in a religious rite since 1975.”
About gay rights, Vassallo said his party was against gay marriages but gay couples should still be legally recognised.
“Marriage is a term and concept established in law and culture to signify a permanent union of one man and one woman and would be inappropriate with reference to the union of persons of the same sex. We recognise the fact that in our country persons of the same sex do live together and they should be entitled to legal recognition,” he said.
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