Divorcing the politician from the saint

Austin Bencini's article Divorce The Issues (January 6) is an attempt to deviate attention from the fact that the Nationalist Party is out of touch with a changing Maltese society. He would like us to believe that Alternattiva Demokratika's (AD) stand against the Maltese government's threat to veto the harmonisation of divorce laws for EU couples involved in divorce procedures across European borders, unless Malta is given a written opt-out from this clause, and the domestic debate on whether divorce should be introduced in Malta are two separate issues.

It seems it is his apologetic opinion piece that is missing the point. If Dr Bencini wants to take readers for a ride by pinpointing such technicalities, he is free to do so. However, the majority of us who have read his article are obliged to treat it for what it is: A sad attempt at deviating what is really at stake with the government's fantastic threat to the harmonisation of divorce laws among the various EU divorce regimes.

When Dr Bencini claims that "Alternattiva Demokratika has to act very responsibly by keeping Malta's stand on the EU Commission's proposal separate and distinct from AD's political agenda of introducing divorce in Malta", does he expect couples who are suffering from the fact that they cannot get divorce here in Malta, to "understand him responsibly"? This move by the government has reconfirmed that unless AD speaks out against this perpetual state of hibernation, we cannot expect the government to be sensitive enough to start tackling the divorce issue at a national level.

AD's stand that instead of boasting of its objections the government should withdraw its objections at once and initiate a serious public debate on the issue of divorce in Malta in line with its own social reality, unlike what Dr Bencini is saying, is not confusing anyone.

Dr Bencini also states that: "They (AD) are also, with due respect, out of point because there exists no impediment to the government or, for that matter, to AD itself to initiate a serious debate on the issue of divorce!" The contradiction in this statement is hilarious. It is the government's stand itself that is an impediment. The threat to veto divorce laws harmonisation across the EU only confirms the government's stubbornness to ignore change in Malta.

Dr Bencini, a former Iva Malta Fl-Ewropa activist, at one point seems to be nostalgic of the good old pre-referendum campaign, and returns to the discourse of guaranteed sovereignty within the EU.

Once again, he seems to have missed the whole point of AD's stand. AD does not doubt Malta's right for sovereignty within the EU. It is him who is trying to invoke such rhetoric. AD's position reflects the position of many in this regard. It is a stand by the Maltese to introduce divorce in Malta, and we expect the Maltese government to wake up and do something about it. Instead of repeating that "this is a decision the EU organs cannot take for us", Dr Bencini and PN stooges would better realise this is a decision the Maltese citizens want the Maltese government to take for them.

Another highlight in Dr Bencini's article is the following: "The government is, therefore, requesting clarifications on one fundamental issue concerning our rights, namely: If a Maltese national were to marry a person from another EU country in Malta, how would the harmonisation exercise affect the situation from what it is today?"

We, on the other hand, are requesting this clarification from the Maltese government: "For how long does your government believe it can go on with this hypocritical stance with regard to divorce? And when will you decide to act as politicians for once, and stop pretending you are the guardians of morality?"

Mr Fiorini is PRO for Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party.

fioriniv@yahoo.co.uk