Divorce allows for proper families (1)

Herbert Messina Ferrante's letter seemed to be a hotchpotch of political attacks, alleged plots and a misunderstanding of the realities of Malta's families today (The Sunday Times, August 31). I was particularly concerned by his definition of cohabitation where he claimed that "by its very nature, it involves a reluctance or an inability to accept the bonds of commitment, obligation, duty and sacrifice".

One needs to ask the all important question: why do people choose cohabitation instead of marriage? They have no choice since we do not have a divorce law. The cohabiting family is the only 'family' for a couple where one of the partners has previously been married. A more accurate definition of cohabitation would be "to accept the bonds of commitment, obligation, duty and sacrifice as far as permitted by law".

In practice, the growing cohabiting family is a State-sponsored family unit brought about by lack of foresight of policy makers in the 1990s. The Family Act 1995 was an experiment that did not work and although the people who pioneered this law may have had the best of intentions, it created this cohabitation phenomenon few could have anticipated. It has led to the degeneration of our society in a manner far worse that the legalisation of divorce ever could.

Claims that 'divorce is a further step in the erosion of traditional family values' are rhetoric we have heard before without any real substance. Marriages in Malta are 'de facto' breaking up at a rate that is comparable with that of some EU countries. This certainly cannot be attributable to divorce since we do not have a divorce law. Divorce will actually be an instrument that should greatly reduce cohabitation and increase the number of proper families again.

I could not understand Dr Messina Ferrante's attack on Labour leader Joseph Muscat at a time when even the government is claiming that it may have to consider the introduction of divorce legislation. Although Dr Muscat still has to prove his qualities, I have to credit him for being the first to speak unequivocally on what other politicians considered taboo.

The time has come to call a spade a spade and introduce a sensible divorce proviso in our law.