Alternattiva Demokratika welcomed the recently set up anti-divorce movement but disagreed with its main argument that introducing divorce would lead to more broken marriages.

“It’s positive that there is an anti-divorce movement but their main argument doesn’t hold,” party chairman Michael Briguglio told a news conference yesterday.

The argument that introducing divorce will lead to more broken marriages and cohabiting couples was flawed because it was out of sync with reality.

“Even though there is no divorce in Malta, separations and cohabiting couples are increasing,” Mr Briguglio said.

Ultimately, introducing divorce would be the difference between Malta forming part of the modern world that focused on diversity, or remaining in Europe’s backyard where political and cultural “elites” denied people’s individuality, he added.

Divorce was needed because marriages did break down and for different reasons, such as lack of compatibility or domestic violence. “People have a right to divorce and start over,” he said.

Mr Briguglio pointed out that Alternattiva Demokratika was the only political party to have taken a stand in favour of divorce and had backed the recent draft legislation submitted in Parliament by MPs Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Evarist Bartolo.

“This draft law does not promote Las Vegas-style divorces but is based on the Irish model where couples would have to be living apart for at least four years to able to divorce,” he said.