The Movement Against Divorce (Zwieg Bla Divorzju) has listed its objections to the referendum question proposed by the Labour Party in Parliament and it insisted in a statement today that the two parties should seek agreement on the issue.
It said that the referendum question conditions the people to think about the kind of divorce that should be introduced, even before they would have decided whether divorce should be introduced in the first place.
"The question mistakenly conveys the impression that rights and interests may be guaranteed, when experience shows that this is far from the truth," the movement said.
"The question suggests that maintenance may be guaranteed when this is not necessarily the case. In fact the Pullicino Orlando/Bartolo Bill does not make one reference to maintenance guarantees. In separation proceedings there are numerous pending requests relating to failure or inability to pay maintenance, either for capricious reasons or because of the impossibility of separating spouses to maintain two partners and two families. The suggestion that a divorce law or divorce proceedings can guarantee maintenance is misleading."
The movement said the referendum question ignores the suffering inflicted upon children when their parents divorce. Having suffered as a result of their parents’ marriage breakdown, children’s pain is further aggravated when they are required to adapt to a third party who takes the place of one of their parents. Divorce cannot ensure that children are cared for as the Referendum question suggests.
The movement insisted that the referendum question conceals the divorce reality proposed by the Divorce Bill presented in Parliament. It hides the fact that divorce may be obtained even if there is no valid reason to divorce. All it takes is for one of the spouses to walk away from marriage, live apart for four years and claim that the marriage which he/she has destroyed has irretrievably broken down.
"The Pullicino Orlando/Bartolo Bill which supposedly introduces responsible divorce in fact permits irresponsible divorce."
It added that the referendum question fails to show that divorce may be obtained by one party, even though he/she may be the party at fault and even though the innocent party objects. Pro Divorce lobbyists who are ready to claim that marriage is a contract, appear to be unwilling to state clearly that divorce enables the contract of marriage to be broken unilaterally, notwithstanding that the other party objects.
"Those who suggest that divorce is a choice, are hiding the fact that divorce may be imposed on a spouse who for her/his own reasons, such as the interests of children, object to divorce."
Furthermore, the referendum question as proposed hides the fact that even a marriage is not binding. The divorce law, as proposed does not set any limit on the number of marriages one can go through. In effect one may marry, divorce, remarry, divorce repeatedly.
"Independently of the intention of whosoever proposed the Motion which is pending before Parliament, voters may very well be deceived and misled by the Referendum Question, as it conceals the negative consequences of divorce as is being proposed by the Pullicino Orlando/Bartolo Bill.
"Zwieg Bla Divorzju firmly believes in sincere consultation with the electorate. Accordingly we appeal for consensus to be reached on a sincere referendum question which is not biased either in favour or against divorce," the movement said.