Arnold Cassola
AD's position on abortion
It is election time again. In less than four months we vote in the European elections. And, therefore, it is again time for the PN apologists to bring up the topic of abortion. The Greens of Alternattiva Demokratika can pose a threat since a good number of Maltese citizens would like to vote for Alternattiva. So why not smear the Maltese Greens with the abortion theme once more?
To be honest, I have now got so used to this tactic that it has become part of my routine every four or five years. In 1998 it was George Pullicino who spearheaded the abortion attack on AD. In 2004 it was Tonio Borg. Who will it be in 2009?
The stark reality is that all Maltese parties are against abortion. One of the few things on which Lawrence Gonzi's PN, Joseph Muscat's PL and Arnold Cassola's AD agree upon. Yet, all three Maltese political parties have great problems with this issue on the international front. In fact, all European Socialist parties are in favour of abortion in certain circumstances but Dr Muscat's PL is not. In the European Green Party, it is only the Maltese and Irish Greens who totally reject abortion, under any condition. On the other hand, most Christian Democratic parties in Europe are against abortion, even though it is legal in the vast majority of countries in the EU, including those that have or have had a government made up of Christian Democrats.
The German Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) are not totally in favour of abortion, nor are the German Greens. But both parties have accepted legislation that, under certain conditions, sets women who have had an abortion and their doctors free from prosecution. This means that the German Christian Democrats and the German Greens have accepted the decriminalisation of abortion. The logic behind this has been that, however you may position yourself with regard to abortion, the issue should not be dealt with through the Criminal Code.
Ironically, however, there is another issue linked to respect for human life that clearly distinguishes the German Greens from the German Christian Democrats: Dr Gonzi's bosom friend, German CDU Chancellor Angela Merkel, has completely ignored the Catholic bishops' appeal a couple of months ago and has pushed through Parliament a law that allows for stem cell experimentation on human embryos. The German Greens, instead, sided with the Catholic bishops and opposed stem cell experimentation.
Well, with regard to the abortion issue, AD has always been very clear from its foundation 20 years ago. While we acknowledge that every woman has a right of choice, on the other hand we fully recognise the rights of the unborn child to live.
Basically, there are two principles in direct conflict involved in this issue: a woman's civil right to decide for herself and the unborn child's fundamental right to life.
AD has got clear in mind its scale of values and priorities: in her exercise of the right of choice, a woman has no right to trample over the right of the unborn.
Therefore, in this choice between conflicting interests, AD's position is clear. We hold the rights of the weaker unborn child to stand above any other interest, hence our stand against abortion.
AD's position is a 20-year-old one, since its foundation. And we have reaffirmed it over and over again without any fear or favour. In 1993 AD publicly wrote and stated that it was not ratifying and not adhering to the part of the statutes of the European Federation of Green Parties, which accepts abortion in certain circumstances.
On August 9, 1995 we clearly outlined AD's position against abortion in The Times. In October 1998, then Magistrate Gino Camilleri ordered Mr Pullicino to apologise on national TV for having stated during the 1998 electoral campaign that AD was in favour of abortion.
During the first decade of this 21st century we have continued reaffirming our strong position against abortion. AD prides itself on its consistency vis-à-vis this and any other issues, both on the home front and abroad. While respecting the beliefs of others, we do not accept or allow anybody to impinge on our autonomy.
So, just to repeat, AD is against abortion and for the full right to life. On the other hand, we are against any changes to the Maltese Constitution because we believe that Maltese law as it stands, including the highest law in the country - the Constitution, already clearly affords the highest degree of protection to the right to life.
The Constitution says: "No person shall intentionally be deprived of his life." And for us at AD, the unborn child is definitely a person.
For the 20th year in succession, this is AD's position on the right to life. But, since elections are on our doorstep, I fully realise that the PN, conveniently forgetting uncomfortable ally Chancellor Merkel, will launch its usual, and now 11-year-old, attack on AD citing abortion.
After Mr Pullicino and Dr Borg, who will be the chosen rumour-monger of the PN? I am dying of curiosity to find out.
The author is chairman of Alternattiva Demokratika - the Green party.
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Joe Zammit
Feb 19th 2009, 20:48
Are those in favour of abortion want to be killed? Abortion is murder. Abortion is the killing of innocent persons. If any person in favour of abortion is quite reasonable, he must say: I am in favour of abortion and I am in favour of being killed. Do to others what you want to be done to yourself. Wanting to kill others is an invitation to be killed. I am here limiting myself only on human reasoning.
Joe Zammit
Feb 15th 2009, 17:22
It is better if the Constitution is clearer on saving the life of the person from conception to natural death. So we need a change. Those who are sincerely in favour of life and against abortion must declare publicly that they are in favour of inserting in the Constitution the phrase 'from conception to natural death' after the word 'life' or the word 'person'. If they get excuses, the probability is that they are in favour of abortion. There is no middle way. Either you do your best to put abortion as far away as possible or you chew your words till the occasion arises to declare yourself in favour of abortion. Abortion is murder!
SDeychell Michael
Feb 13th 2009, 21:01
how convenient for Dr. Cassola to state that the Pn will make an issue that Alternattiva as a Green Party are in favour for Abortion, in the same article he reminds the voters that Dr. Gonzi's bossom friend Angela Merkel the German Chancellor and leader of the Christain Dem,ocratic Union, has pushed through Parliament a law on stem cells experimantation on human embryos.
Is this a question of the pot calling the kettle black, or is it a case where the GREEN Leader who has previously represented the Italian voters in the EU, is so afraid that he will not make it again through the Maltese voters that he decided to play dirty politics, by inferring that because Gonzi's bossom friend is in favour of stem cells experimentation, the PN will follow suite. I expected much more maturity from the Profs.
MARK MIFSUD BONNICI
Feb 13th 2009, 17:43
How nice to know AD's chairman is counting chickens before they hatch. Guess its part of the AD entertainment campaign. It seems that this "political' party has nothing else to comment about, so much for their good ideas of governance, utopia at its best!!!
Dr. John Zammit
Feb 13th 2009, 14:51
Why all the fuss about abortion. We are in favour of abortion and those who are in favour of decriminalising abortion should vote for me JOHN ZAMMIT of ALLEANZA LIBERALI. I will in the European Parliament with my Liberal Party colegues of ALDE/ELDR, if elected vote YES for abortion, divorce, euthanasia, gay marriages and rights and all the rights that are found in the European Union member countries. So why are you worrying, I know that there are more voters that want abortion in Malta (especially the youths) than not today? www.freewebs.com/maltaabortionrights
P. Vincenti
Feb 13th 2009, 12:18
These ongoing conflicting signals from AD and their politicians who are expected to uphold the values that the Maltese cherish so dearly are irresponsible.
Whether human life is guaranteed from conception is subject to interpretation and AD knows this. The right to life campaign seeks to eliminate any doubt of this. Leaving this point unclear leaves the door open to abortion by a representative of the law who may choose to interpret that a person is not a person at all until they are born. Why would a party who claim to be against abortion not want to rectify this situation?
In our view, a pro-life party would best express its pro-life values by reacting to rectify this anomaly. We shall be explaining the worrying details on ADs position of the right to life in a detailed letter to the Times in due course. Readers have a right to know the whole story. Readers have a duty to be informed of the consequences of ADs position by not being in favour of guaranteeing the right to life from conception.
Gift of Life
P. Vincenti
Feb 13th 2009, 12:18
On the 2nd February 2009, Dr Cassola informed Gift of Life that his position on the right to life was “identical” to that of the President of Malta. The President is against the entrenchment into the constitution of the law (chapter 6 of the criminal code) banning abortion specifically. He is in favour of clarifying the right to life from conception by amending article 33 of the Constitution. We share this same position with the President.
This is what the +9 right to life campaign is all about.
In his letter today, Dr Cassola has suddenly changed his position. We witnessed the same tactic used by Dr Harry Vassallo who first claimed to have signed the +9 petition calling for the right to life only to then reversed his position when he was interviewed a few months later.
N.Calleja
Feb 13th 2009, 12:02
I simply cannot understand why Dr.Cassola wasted such a long space in your newspaper writing to insinuate who will be the next Nationalist member to accuse the Alternativa about abortion. What happened on previous occasions does not mean that it will occur next time round. Alternattiva should better talk of it's obvious assimilation with Labour ideals...which are of no benefit to the Maltese electorate!
Leo Said
Feb 13th 2009, 10:02
@ Prof.Cassola
It may also be interesting to note that Angela Merkel is the daughter of a Protestant pastor. Moreover, she grew up in a former political country, which per se was not necessarily pro-religion.
Angela Merkel at the moment finds herself in a political position, where she has to thread very carefully because of the forthcoming federal elections in September besides other statal and communal elections of importance, which will possibly demand coalitions of various kinds and colour.
Angela Merkel is also facing increasing resistance in her own CDU.
I doubt whether one can ever really project the essentials of post-war German politics to Malta.