Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando has launched an appeal to set up a “pro-divorce movement” on the scale of the Yes to EU campaign that won the referendum in 2003.

“It will be a new Moviment Iva,” he said.

Dr Pullicino Orlando made the appeal yesterday on social networking site Facebook, calling for feedback on his new idea.

Speaking to The Times, he said he still had to analyse the feedback received but was also organising himself behind the scenes. He is confident he will manage to bring many prominent and influential members of society on board, including organisations that make up civil society.

“However, I do not want to publicise any names yet. I will leave that up to them,” he added.

Asked if he hoped for a bi-partisan approach, he said this was an issue that affected everyone and would, therefore, not divide people on party lines.

His move comes after the Prime Minister’s suggestion that the issue be put to a referendum after it is discussed in Parliament next year.

Dr Pullicino Orlando presented a Private Member’s Divorce Bill at the beginning of July modelled on the Irish legislation. He had originally said he was aiming for it to be discussed in January but, following a meeting with Lawrence Gonzi, he stressed that was not a deadline and he would be satisfied for the debate to move depending on Parliament’s agenda as long as it was discussed next year.

Dr Pullicino Orlando has publicly supported the referendum idea because the parties did not have a mandate from the electorate and also given the sensitive nature of such legislation.

President Emeritus Eddie Fenech Adami and human rights expert Judge Giovanni Bonello are among those who have criticised the idea of putting such an issue to a public vote.

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