The students' council theoretically approved the installation of a condom machine in its offices on the University campus when it adopted a policy declaring it would back any safe-sex campaign, according to a students' organisation.
The organisation, Move, called on the University Students' Council (KSU) to approve its application for a condom machine in Student House in the interest of sexual health.
Last week, the KSU said that, according to its statute, it could not decide on the matter before the application went through its social policy commission.
Byron Camilleri, from Move, said the KSU's position "did not make sense" in light of a sexual health policy amendment the commission approved last year.
The amendment, to the 2006 KSU Health Policy, said KSU would follow the ABC notion in sexual health that stood for abstain, be faithful and condom use.
Mr Camilleri pointed out that, in the amendment, the KSU's social policy commission also decided to support "any entity that engages in an educational campaign promoting the importance of abstinence, safe sex and awareness about sexually-transmitted infections".
Given this policy, Move argued, the KSU's council had already decided on the installation of the condom machine. He called on the KSU to approve its application as, not doing so, was detrimental to the sexual health of students.
Move had originally submitted its application for the condom machine to University rector Juanito Camilleri who informed the student association that, since the machine would be installed in Student House, it was a KSU decision.
The condom machine debate hads been going on for the past 10 years and was recently rekindled during a promotional stunt by Vodafone when free condoms were distributed on campus.
Move decided to make its request for a machine after a survey it published in December showed more than two-thirds of students were in favour of its installation on campus.
The organisation claimed it was pushing for the machine to be installed as a means to prevent sexually-transmitted diseases and not to promote sex.