It was a grave Lawrence Gonzi who made a prompt appearance on television to acknowledge the referendum outcome yesterday, soon after reports of a Yes victory started spreading around mid-morning.

“Even though you know this majority in favour of divorce wasn’t the result I wished for, it is now our duty to see that the people’s wishes are respected,” Dr Gonzi said, calling the referendum a “historic one which impacts the foundations of our society today and in the future”.

Initial results had not been expected before noon but the relatively large gap between the Yes and No votes made it a certainty that the count was heading for a pro-divorce victory.

The Prime Minister came on TVM at about 11.30 a.m. and started by thanking the country, saying both sides had shown “great maturity” in this test of democracy.

He hailed the central role played by civil society in the debate as a “positive development for our country’s democratic process”.

“The majority has decided. Now is the time to move ahead,” he said. “Now it is Parliament’s duty to execute the people’s wishes and create a divorce law. This will not be an easy process, because the legislative change the country is being asked to make is not an easy one. This is a process which should take place with the greatest meticulousness and responsibility.”

Dr Gonzi said while the wishes of the majority should “naturally” be fulfilled, the conscience of MPs “who feel it is not possible for them to approve and so who have to abstain or vote against (a divorce law)” had to be respected.

He said both sides of the debate had shown they were ultimately in favour of the family and “no one has held up divorce as an ideal but as a remedy for difficult breakdowns”. The family, he said, would take centre stage in the government’s policies.

Now that the referendum was over, he appealed, people had to “put the division that was created behind them”. Everyone should unite to look ahead for the good of the family and of children.