EFA: Let conscience be MPs’ guide on divorce

Legislators should decide according to their conscience on a moral matter such as divorce, whatever the result of the referendum, President Emeritus Eddie Fenech Adami says.

“The individual conscience of the legislator should decide, whatever the result. If it were me, I would decide according to my conscience...” Dr Fenech Adami, long known for his strong stance against divorce, insists.

The former Prime Minister believes the divorce referendum question is “loaded” and that the outcome would have been clearer with a simple “yes or no” question: “The result would have better reflected the real position of the people. If the result is negative – as I think it will be – the margin would have been relatively wider had it been a simple yes or no ­question.”

The referendum question approved by Parliament on Wednesday asks people whether they “agree with the introduction of the divorce option in the case of a married couple which has been separated or has not lived together for at least four years, and where there is no reasonable hope of reconciliation between the spouses, while adequate maintenance is guaranteed and children are ­protected”. The question has been criticised by Moviment Żwieġ Bla Divorzju and the Nationalist Party for misleading people.

Asked whether people should still vote, despite the loaded nature of the question, the former Nationalist Party leader said everyone had the duty to vote.

“Personally, I was always against a referendum because I believe moral and ethical questions should never be decided in terms of minorities and majorities but on a point of principle. However, since there is now a referendum everyone should participate,” Dr Fenech Adami said.

On the fact that Nationalist MPs Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Jesmond Mugliett had voted with Labour on Wednesday, Dr Fenech Adami said: “I am not satisfied. It was a mistake that the law of divorce was proposed, when it wasn’t in any electoral programme. This is political disloyalty.”

Archbishop Paul Cremona said that, whatever the question, “the choice remains whether divorce is introduced or not”.

He said the Church was called to love but “believers should be free to argue and discuss, otherwise we wouldn’t be living in a pluralistic society. It’s important that people hear a lot of voices, including ours,” Mgr Cremona said.