House approves divorce bill in second reading but Prime Minister votes against

The vote was taken at 13:00 at the end of a long sitting this morning that closed eight sittings spread over a week and a half.

Nationalist MP and divorce bill promoter Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando wound up the second reading on the divorce bill, and hit out at the onslaught by those who are against divorce, and added that it is difficult to accept how MPs put religious beliefs before their obligations towards the state. He stressed that who is voting against the divorce bill which was clearly approved by a referendum, must be ready to suffer political consequences.

"If we do not honour the result, we would be showing that us politicians in this House are ready to ignore the clear message of solidarity towards a growing minority. We will be putting ourselves in a situation where people show more sensitivity than their representatives, a clear anomaly," he said.

Pullicino Orlando explained that it is "surreal" and "unacceptable" that the National Sexual Health Policy on the shelf because “somebody wants to discuss the issue with the Curia. This is unacceptable in a lay state."

Legislators must fulfill their obligations towards the state and not consider the church first, and it is a problem to have MPs to object to condom machines at the university campus. "Why are we fearing of stepping on somebody's toes in the curia.”

Pullicino Orlando appealed to MPs to respect the people's will, and stressed that "out there, people are not interpreting the facts as MPs are."

Conscience? "it is admirable that conscience is dictated by belief, but it is not acceptable to use it as an excuse to impose that belief on others," he said.

Pullicino Orlando said that the time has come for the State to review the Malta-Vatican concordat on marriages, and stressed that such a legislation granting supremacy to the Church Tribunal over annulments has become embarrassing for the nation within the European Union."

He stressed that contrary to the Prime Minister's fears over guarantees for adequate maintenance, this guarantee is already enacted in law, and who doesn't pay maintenance is imprisoned. "Law already provides for maintenace and nobody is asking to change it," Pullicino Orlando said.

Speaking in parliament this morning, Lawrence Gonzi hit out at the media, opinionists and politicians who expect MPs to unanimously vote in favour of divorce, given that a large majority of the electorate had voted in favour of the introduction of divorce in a referendum last May.

Gonzi said that he had a clear difficulty in finding a balance in respecting the people’s will and going against what he believes in.

He criticised the Leader of the Opposition who said that the PM must vote in favour of the bill. “Everybody knows what my opinion about divorce is, and so what credibility would I have if I had to vote in favour?” he asked.

The Prime Minister said that he believed that he would be betraying all those who believed in him, and stressed that over the past days he was burdened with the decision, and spoke at length about the oath of office he took when appointed Prime Minister.

“My oath of office says clearly that I must act according to conscience and without fear or favour,” Gonzi said, adding that he will not be hypocritical or a coward in facing the facts.

He said that his obligation is to see that the bill passes, however he expressed his disagreement with whoever expected MPs to divest themselves from conscience and go with the flow.

“Let us not be ridiculous and lead MPs to ignore conscience,” the Prime Minister said.

Gonzi hit out at Opposition leader Joseph Muscat for having "bulldozed" the referendum question in a debate last March, whereby he [Muscat] imposed a referendum question that will now have consequences on the events yet to come.

The Prime Minister said that the problem is now focused on giving the people a divorce bill which does not reflect the referendum question, most especially where a "guarantee" for adequate maintence is obligatory on divorcing couples.

"Experts have warned us that this is impossible, and we now have a fundamental problem of having a published bill that does not respect the people's wish," he said, adding that what is to come is that divorcing couples will be seeking court redress to gain the guarantee. "We are in a straight-jacket."

"Which MP is ready to finance that guaranteed maintenance?" he asked.

Meanwhile Labour MP Anglu Farrugia accused Lawrence Gonzi of being the first ever Prime Minister to go against the people's will, and stressed that the people no longer believe him.

Farrugia said that if the Prime Minister was truely concerned on the guarantees for adequate maintenance, then he should vote in favour and ensure that the bill gives that guarantee.

He also accused the Prime Minister of being irresponsible by exerting pressure on MPs who would be voting in favour. "This was clearly his last attempt to put pressure on MPs," Farrugia said.

The Labour MP said that the Prime Minister has insulted and humiliated a nation, and accused him of arrogance.