Divorce | ‘People's lives come before strategic manoeuvring’ – AD

Addressing a press conference in Msida, AD Chairperson Michael Briguglio once again said the Green Party believed in divorce as a basic civil right which should immediately form part of Maltese legislation.

“We expect members of parliament to have a clear stand on the divorce issue, especially when ultimately, it is parliament which has the power to introduce legislation,” Briguglio said.

However, Briguglio stressed, the Nationalist Party's stand on the matter is confusing, whilst Labour’s proposal for an immediate referendum on divorce still requires the ultimate approval of parliament should voters approve the introduction of divorce. “Should there be a referendum, AD will campaign for a yes vote,” Briguglio said. “But what if a majority of voters decide to deny this right to the thousands of people who require this basic civil right? Ultimately this is a question of fairness. Not everyone has the opportunity to obtain a divorce overseas.”
Present at the conference were also AD’s spokesperson for Civil Rights Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer and AD spokesperson on EU and International Affairs Arnold Cassola.

Arqueros Ebejer recalled that AD had included divorce legislation in its electoral manifestos ever since it was founded in 1989. “It has done so because it believes that in a democratic society civil rights should never be forsaken,” she said, whilst adding that divorce is necessary not only because the whole world has introduced this right, but because politics is about making a difference in people's lives.

“It is our legislators' obligation to do so and voting against divorce will only prove their lack of sensitivity and compassion for those who are enduring emotional or physical suffering because of existing marriage breakdowns,” she reiterated.

“It will prove that they are putting their political career before the needs of hundreds of people who are waiting for this civil right to be introduced in our legal system. Everyone should be given the opportunity to freely shape their life, and the State should trust its citizens.”
On the other hand, Arnold Cassola claimed that is “absolutely unheard of in the democratic world that a political party does not take a clear stand on such a sensitive issue”.

“Can anyone imagine the Democrazia Cristiana or the Partito Socialista in Italy or the Fianna Fáil, Labour Party or Fine Gael In Ireland not having taken a position on the issue?” Cassola questioned. “With its fuzzy ‘ħawwadni ħa nifhem’  position on the issue, the Labour Party is seriously risking contributing to shooting down the possibility of introducing responsible divorce legislation in Malta".