Anti-abortion entrenchment campaign to persist

Gift of Life, the pro-life group, has decided to continue with its campaign to press for the entrenchment of anti-abortion clause in the Constitution following a meeting with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.

The group said a "cordial and frank" discussion took place at a meeting on Thursday, giving it hope for a positive outcome to the campaign.

Gift of Life had previously said it would stop its campaign and focus exclusively on helping women who have unplanned pregnancies unless the government committed itself to their cause. Although abortion is illegal in Malta, Gift of Life is lobbying for a constitutional change in order to make it more difficult for a future government to legalise it.

When contacted, spokesman Paul Vincenti said that although the group had not been given a clear commitment by the government there had been some "positive signals".

Contacted last week, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said the government believed the Constitution "should reflect the values of the Maltese people on which there is a unifying national consensus". The spokesman said that since there was virtually a national consensus against abortion, a constitutional amendment "protecting all life from its beginning until the end makes perfect sense".

The spokesman said the government would not proceed in bringing about such a constitutional amendment without the full agreement of the opposition "that is necessary to reflect the national consensus and make such a change possible".

The group started its campaign over two years ago. In May 2005, Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg announced the government's intention to entrench the anti-abortion law in the Constitution.

Despite the fact that 36 members of Parliament from both political parties have signed the foundation's petition calling for the constitutional change, the foundation was worried by the fact that the government has not yet tabled a proposal for discussion in Parliament.

Gift of Life has also managed to get 35,000 people to sign its petition - roughly 8.7 per cent of the population.