Malta is so far the only European Union member state without legislation allowing couples whose marriage has failed to enter into stable and legitimate second relationships.

In my political endeavours as a Labour Party candidate for the European Parliament, I frequently meet people living in new types of families. Many recount stories of difficulties they or their children have to surmount on practically a daily basis because of their inability to legalise their relationship.

I believe there should be no doubt that the traditional family unit on which Maltese society is largely built should be the recipient of the utmost respect and support.

At the same time, however, as a modern democratic society, I also believe that we have a moral obligation to respect and support those who live in non-traditional family units. This is a question fundamentally based on the notion of the respect of the individual person and one's fundamental human rights.

I find it rather hypocritical that in this country, it is still not possible for a couple whose marriage has failed irretrievably to file for divorce in the local courts, when those same courts are legally bound to recognise a divorce obtained by that same couple in a foreign court.

This means a clear discrimination at law between the haves and the have-nots, with the former being able to seek and obtain a divorce decree in a foreign jurisdiction which divorce would be recognised by the Maltese state which right the state does not recognise for the vast majority who are unable, economically or otherwise, to obtain a divorce from abroad.

This is unacceptable. While respecting the fact that this is a very sensitive issue, this problem has been left on the backburner for far too long. I believe it is in everyone's interest to take a decisive position on whether or not the country is going to allow for divorce legislation.

It is high time that on this sensitive issue the political class takes a step back and consults the people.

The state of the family is one of those areas which affects every citizen and thus, every citizen should be afforded the right to state their opinion on this sticky issue.

This can only be effectively done through the holding of a non-partisan referendum wherein both sides of the debate can put forward their views and leave it in the hands of the people to decide on divorce legislation. In the end that is what democracy is all about.

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