Kurt Sansone
PN Executive to discuss divorce
Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando
The Nationalist Party's executive council will be meeting on Thursday to discuss the divorce issue, among other things, in the wake of a Private Member's Bill presented by MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.
This is the first such discussion on divorce in one of the PN's highest organs. According to sources, it would not have taken place had the Private Member's Bill not been presented.
Apart from the executive members elected by the general council, all MPs are entitled to attend executive council meetings but only a few have the right to vote.
The Prime Minister had said the party would be discussing divorce internally after a hastily convened parliamentary group meeting on July 7, just 24 hours after Dr Pullicino Orlando had submitted his Bill.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has expressed himself against divorce and after the meeting he insisted that such a decision is best left to the electorate without specifying whether this meant a referendum or general election.
Dr Pullicino Orlando has gone on record saying he wants the Bill to be discussed in Parliament by January.
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john gatt
Oct 21st 2010, 10:39
WELL SAID DR,EMM BEZZINA . WELL DONE FOR JPO. DIVORVE WILL COME NO MATTER WHAT !!!!
Anthony Borg
Jul 26th 2010, 21:01
Divorce has nothing to do with PN, PL, Referendum Majority or Not, Church etc etc etc. DIVORCE should be an option for who desperately needs it. Very simple : all those that are against divorce, DO NOT DIVORCE !
Joe Zammit
Jul 26th 2010, 16:19
The European Convention on Human Rights is reticent on divorce, so divorce is no right. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights is mum on divorce, so divorce is no right.
Therefore, any argument depicting divorce as a right in view of introducing it in our legislation is flawed right at the start.
No MP can vote in favour of divorce without sinning seriously against God. Christ tells all our MPs that what God has joined together let no MP put asunder. Any MP who votes for divorce is betraying Christ.
Joe Zammit
Jul 26th 2010, 16:17
The official statistics on marriage and family lives ( + living):
7% are separated
93% are going steady.
Of the 7% many do not want divorce.
So DIVORCE NEVER!
DR EMM.BEZZINA,LL.D.,MAG.JUR.,
Jul 25th 2010, 18:04
What is there to discuss - what maddening idiocy is this:a Mid-Summer lunatic tendency by idiots who believe can play around with the individual lives of fellow country folk who are scorned at by those who should be bashfully scorned.
Matrimonial Life for thousands of involved individuals is a Messy Life here in this hypocritical tiny speck of an isle hardly decipherable even by telescope from the Space Station,and yet certain people want to dictate the Lives of those who have a right to determine their mode of living otherwise.There is nothing to discuss: DIVORCE is on the way and it will come.Send out of Parliament the hypocrites who utter otherwise - they are not representatives of the People but representatives of their warped whims whom they claim are our traditional values.
The country`s stand is anti-constitutional,anti European Convention,anti EU Charter of Fundamental Rights:those who can afford it,can go and obtain Divorce in any other EU Member State under BRUSSELS II bis REGULATION - MALTA is discriminating among its Citizens and GOVERNMENT should be sued for damages + a REMEDY.Any MP or Cabinet Member against Divorce should RESIGN - THEY ARE MERE REPRESENTATIVES!
Charles Massa
Jul 25th 2010, 17:29
Imsieken tal PN. Din kien jonqoshom barra it tahwid li ghandhom bejnithom
Dr Joe Brincat
Jul 25th 2010, 14:16
The draft bill cannot proceed as it is. It makes provisions about taxation etc. This would require the recommendation of the President to the House, which has to be signified by a Minister (Art 73 of the Constitution). If this happens, then it becomes a government bill. Worse, it becomes a "money bill" equivalent to a vote of "confidence" or "no confidence".
Secondly that draft bill neglects the structure of other laws. It creates voluntary mediation. What about compulsory mediation in other family court cases ?
I do not like the idea about when the four years start. The starting point must be ascertainable from at least the first request filed in court. Otherwise there might be collusion between the parties.
Legislation cannot be simply cut and paste. It should be inserted in the Civil Code.
Regarding a referendum. What would be the question ? JPO's draft ? A simple question ?
What about details ? A meaningful referendum should be as under Art 66(3) of the Constitution.
Andrea Borg
Jul 26th 2010, 09:32
Dr Brincat - good questions for the electorate to ask and for Members of the Maltese Parliament to get on with their job and answer.
Joe Zammit
Jul 25th 2010, 12:06
Divorce is the declaration that a marriage has been dissolved. No State has the power to make such a declaration. In the celebration of marriage the State has ABSOLUTELY no say.
In every marriage it is God who is uniting two together and Christ commanded (not advised!) us that what God has united let no man, no State put asunder. Divorce is always evil.
The two characteristics of marriage are UNITY and INDISSOLUBILITY. So marriage is for ever.
No MP can vote in favour of divorce without sinning seriously against God. God does not want divorce for our own good. It's a devilish deceit to think divorce can be beneficial to anyone. Christ made it clear: What God has joined together, let no man, NO MP, put asunder!.
MPs, join in the battle between God and the devil! Fight the good fight! The victory is ours, it's already guaranteed!
DIVORCE NEVER!
leonardo vince
Jul 25th 2010, 16:27
COHABITATION FOR EVER
Ramon Casha
Jul 26th 2010, 06:09
"In the celebration of marriage the State has ABSOLUTELY no say."
Really? Then why are we having this discussion? A person's marital status is recognised by the state, so the state does have a say.
What are you proposing? That the state should no longer recognise any marriages? That would of course eliminate the need for divorce but it would create far more problems.
The church is free not to recognise divorce, and to refuse to marry divorcees. That's its prerogative. However, since the state has laws concerning marriage, it also needs those laws to reflect the reality that marriages fail.
Emanuel Cilia Debono
Jul 25th 2010, 11:35
In my opinion any decision about divorce should be preceded by a scientific investigation about the present state of the family in Malta. In my opinion Fr. Peter's learned contribution to the subject leads to this..
The recent survey by NSO ( although it needs to be supplemented by further scientific investigations) indicates three areas which need to be tackled ;
(1) A high rate of irregular ( de facto) family relationships ;
(2) Shrinking family size and absence of children in many cases point to an aging population. This may have implications not only from the point of view of social security pensions but also from a family stability point of view;
(3) a high incidence of families at risk of poverty.