Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi will give Nationalist MPs a free vote if the Private Member’s Bill on divorce presented by Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando is put to a vote in Parliament.

“On several occasions the Prime Minister stated that the government has not been given a mandate to legislate on this issue. Consequently, all MPs should feel free to express themselves according to their conscience,” Dr Gonzi’s spokesman said, when contacted by The Sunday Times.

Dr Pullicino Orlando, a strong advocate of divorce, said the move was “excellent news”.

The Nationalist MP said Dr Gonzi had throughout shown willingness to encourage an open and unfettered debate about this sensitive issue – while maintaining his personal position.

The Prime Minister recently pledged that the Bill, which is based on Irish legislation, would be discussed in Parliament next year before the issue is put to the electorate through a referendum.

Dr Pullicino Orlando said: “A responsible divorce Bill is far superior to any Bill which merely seeks to regularise cohabitation and definitely more conducive to the common good,” Dr Pullicino Orlando said, referring to the cohabitation law that was promised by the Nationalist Party at the last general election but which has not yet been enacted.

He said he was convinced that a number of fellow MPs would contribute to help make the Bill even better suited to the local situation.

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat, who promised his own MPs a free vote on divorce before being elected leader two years ago, has since been badgering Dr Gonzi to say whether he would do the same.

His latest appeal came just last Sunday, when Dr Muscat also said his MPs had all the space to say what they wanted on divorce without fear of being split into those “who support Joseph and those who are against him”.

Asked to react to the news of a Nationalist free vote, a Labour spokesman said the latest development confirmed that Dr Gonzi was “inconsistent” and was being led rather than leading.

“The PL and (Dr) Muscat remain consistent on this issue,” the spokesman added.

Dr Pullicino Orlando recently said he was organising a pro-divorce movement similar to the Yes for EU campaign for the referendum in 2003, which had been fronted by the PN and Alternattiva Demokratika.

AD has now promised to be at the forefront of the pro-divorce movement.