‘Roadmap’ for divorce referendum campaign crucial – Muscat

Speaking during a meeting with the pro-divorce Moviment Iva committee held at the PL’s HQ in Hamrun, Muscat questioned when discussions would take place that would determine what structure both the campaign and the referendum would take.

“We should be discussing not only whether or not to introduce divorce, but also how the decision will be made,” Muscat said, referring to the way the referendum question would be determined and what structure the process will take.

“We need to discuss and decide what regulations will be in place, and what safeguards will protect the process.” This ‘roadmap’ should be determined through open dialogue with all stakeholders involved, including the church, he said.

He also questioned how would the proposed law be discussed in parliament: “Will there be a second reading of the bill? Will it go to committee level? Will it then go on hold until the referendum is held? Or will it be discussed through another approach?”

Conceding that these aspects might be considered “technicalities,” Muscat affirmed that they are crucial questions that can drastically impact the entire process.

“I am comfortable working with everyone on the committee,” he told a gathering which included Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, the man who beat Muscat to the punch in presenting the divorce Private Members bill.

Muscat also speculated that the campaign aiming to convince the majority of the population to vote in favour of the introduction of divorce will be “an uphill struggle.” He emphasised that the campaign will need to work hard in educating the public and raising awareness of the realities of divorce.

Reacting to remarks made on Sunday by former President Eddie Fenech Adami that he was “proud of a divorce-free Malta”, Muscat said he however is not proud of the way current divorce legislation discriminates between those who can afford to obtain a divorce abroad, and those who cannot.

“I am sure that there will be scare mongering along the way,” he said.

“If this referendum doesn’t approve the introduction of divorce,” Muscat said, answering questions from the press, “I’ll hold another one.” Committee chairperson Deborah Schembri interjected, pointing out that Ireland had held two divorce referenda before the legislation was finally introduced.

Asked for a reaction to the co-habitation laws under discussion in parliament, Muscat said that he did not agree with the idea that co-habitation legalisation was trying to ‘create’ second-class marriages. “It is a bit hypocritical for one to be in favour of co-habitation and yet be against divorce.”

Also referring to cohabitation, Schembri added that many separated couples are currently co-habiting because they cannot remarry – rendering co-habitation their ‘plan B’.

She affirmed that a society shouldn’t be contemplating co-habitation before divorce. “A society wanted to strengthen the family should be opting for divorce before it opts for co-habitation,” emphasising that many co-habiting separated couples genuinely want to remarry.

The meeting is the pro-divorce movement’s second since its launch. Last week, it met with Alternattiva Demokratika to discuss how the two could work together on the campaign. The committee should also be meeting with prime Minster Lawrence Gonzi in the coming weeks.