The pro-divorce movement censored one of its own television adverts because it exposed the fact that the movement was in favour of a form of marriage that lacked commitment and expired, the anti-divorce group charged yesterday.

However, the Yes for Divorce movement explained that the advert, which formed part of a series, was withdrawn because they feared it would be misinterpreted and did not convey the intended meaning.

In a statement, the Marriage Without Divorce movement referred to the advert in which television personality and DJ Gianni Zammit says: “A couple who have been married 20 years decide: ‘We are no longer good for each other’. Why shouldn’t these people withdraw from the commitment...?”

Arthur Galea Salamone, from the anti-divorce group, said the advert clearly showed that the Yes campaign wanted to introduce divorce that had no reason. The divorce law, as proposed, meant that one spouse could impose divorce on the other.

“If, as a society, we throw out the concept of commitment... it will spell the ruin of our country and children,” he said.

Reacting to this, pro-divorce chairman Deborah Schembri explained that the advert had been withdrawn from TVM because they felt if could be misinterpreted.

The original intention was to depict a scenario where a couple agreed that their marriage was no longer good. That couple should have a choice, she said.

“It’s not that the advert was bad... It’s just that we felt it could be misinterpreted and did not convey the intended meaning. So we decided to use others we had,” she said.