Alternattiva to discuss MEP candidates’ stands on abortion

Alternattiva Demokratiku will be holding an internal discussion on the stands on abortion of its MEP candidates Mina Tolu and Arnold Cassola, Carmel Cacopardo has said.

The AD chairperson, who is also the party's third MEP candidate, said that the discussion would take place in light of what was “effectively a proposal” by Cassola that abortion be allowed in cases where the life of the mother is in jeopardy.

Cacopardo was replying to an email published by Cassalo, where he had told the party’s administration that he disagreed with Tolu having brought the topic of abortion up for discussion.

Tolu had, on Friday, posted video comments online where she called for a respectful debate on the subject, but Cassola said that while he agreed with the need for a discussion on the topic, it wasn’t AD’s task to do so, since it had no mandate from its members in this regard.

In his reply on Sunday, Cacopardo said that although he appreciated Cassola’s views, it would have been much better had he had the patience to wait for the issues mentioned in his (Cassola’s) email to be discussed within the party, instead of publishing it.

Cacopardo also noted that in Cassola’s email, he had effectively proposed that abortion be viewed as acceptable in cases where the health or life of the mother is as risk.

“I observed that in your email you made a comment, effectively a proposal, regarding the circumstances when, for you, abortion is acceptable. In your email you said: ‘I am completely against abortion except in cases when the health or life of the mother is in danger’,” Cacopardo highlighted.

“As you know, this is a position which our party has never adopted, and in this respect I appreciate your contribution to the discussion.”

He said that the contents of Cassola’s email would be discussed in the next meeting of the party’s executive committee.