Labour EP candidate Claudette Abela Baldacchino has called for a referendum on divorce.

Writing in The Times, Ms Abela Baldacchino said Malta was the only European Union member state without legislation allowing couples whose marriage has failed to enter into stable and legitimate second relationships.

“I believe there should be no doubt that the traditional family unit on which Maltese society is largely built should be the recipient of the utmost respect and support.

“At the same time, however, as a modern democratic society, I also believe that we have a moral obligation to respect and support those who live in non-traditional family units. This is a question fundamentally based on the notion of the respect of the individual person and one's fundamental human rights.”

Ms Abela Baldacchino said it was rather hypocritical that in this country, it was still not possible for a couple whose marriage has failed irretrievably to file for divorce in the local courts, when those same courts were legally bound to recognise a divorce obtained by that same couple in a foreign court.

“ While respecting the fact that this is a very sensitive issue, this problem has been left on the backburner for far too long. I believe it is in everyone's interest to take a decisive position on whether or not the country is going to allow for divorce legislation. It is high time that on this sensitive issue the political class takes a step back and consults the people,” Ms Abela Baldacchino said.

“The state of the family is one of those areas which affects every citizen and thus, every citizen should be afforded the right to state their opinion on this sticky issue.

“This can only be effectively done through the holding of a non-partisan referendum wherein both sides of the debate can put forward their views and leave it in the hands of the people to decide on divorce legislation. In the end that is what democracy is all about.”