Divorce vote: Sliema based PN MPs shift to 'yes'

Education, Employment, and Culture Minister Dolores Cristina shifted from a ‘no’ vote in the second reading to a ‘yes’ vote in final vote during the third reading. This same shift was performed by PN MP Francis Zammit Dimech.

Resources and Rural Affairs George Pullicino shifted from an abstention during the second reading to a ‘yes’ vote during the final vote.

All three MPs contest on the 10th district, within which falls the contentious Sliema locality - previously considered a Nationalist stronghold. Following the divorce debate, and the distance that the PN put between itself and its liberal and moderate voters, the PN's deadlock on the locality is waning.

The shift could represent a bid by Sliema contenders to reaffirm thier liberal and moderate credentials among an electorate that is quickly losing faith in the PN being anything but a confessional party with oppressively Catholic overtones.

Throughout the debate, Cristina in particular held back from commenting directly on divorce and dodged questions by the media as to what her vote would be. Her resulting 'no' vote during the second reading vote surprised few.

Similarly, various other Nationalist MPs such as Charlo Bonnici, Jean-Pierre Farrugia, Stephen Spiteri, Ninu Zammit all shifted from an abstention during the second reading’s vote, to a ‘yes’ vote in the final divorce bill vote.

However PN MP Philip Mifsud also changed his vote, having shifted from an abstention in the second vote to a ‘no’ vote in the third and final vote.

Azzopardi, Jason Azzopardi, Tonio Borg, Giovanna Debono, Louis Deguara, Beppe Fenech Adami, Austin Gatt, Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, and Edwin Vassallo, and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s ‘no’ vote remained unchanged.

Labour MP Marie Louise Coleiro-Preca shifted from an abstention during the second reading to a ‘yes’ vote in the final vote – in line with the position she said she would take earlier this month.

PN MPs Francis Agius, Tonio Fenech, Mario Galea, Peter Micallef, and Clyde Pulis remained unchanged in their abstentions.

Conspicuously, Labour MP Adrian Vassallo, who had been warned of the consequences of his ‘no’ vote during the divorce bill’s second reading, did not show up for the final vote.