In his opinion piece, Arnold Cassola (October 23) mentions reasons why he feels that Foreign Minister Tonio Borg is not a suitable candidate for the role of European commissioner. He states that one reason for this is that Borg is pro-life and that he spearheaded Gift of Life Foundation’s national drive to clarify that life begins at conception.

Cassola and Alternattiva Demokratika had flip-flopped on this issue.

In 2007, AD even went as far as to withdraw its then leader’s signature from the petition that was raised to amend article 33 of the Constitution to better protect human life from the moment of fertilisation. It is enlightening that Cassola sees these important values as an impediment to a person’s candidature for the post of European commissioner.

Cassola says that Malta needs a “consensual candidate”.

May we remind him that the vast majority of Maltese supported this amendment as was shown in numerous surveys carried out by our foundation as well as by other independent organisations. The petition even gained the support of more than three-quarters of MPs who signed the petition that was presented to Parliament in 2008.

Gift of Life supports and encourages any pro-life MP to continue speaking out for the unborn no matter what political party s/he belongs to.