The leaders of the anti-divorce movement - Zwieg bla-divorzju - this morning complained of a lack of public information on divorce.

They made their complaint directly to the prime minister during a meeting with the administration of the Nationalist Party.

Dr Gonzi shared their views.

Andre' Camilleri, chairman of the movement, said that the referendum was 'a step in the dark' for Malta as there was no public information campaign which presented the facts about divorce. His movement, he said, was attempting to fill this void.

The decision taken at the referendum would affect future generations, he said. Approval of divorce would change the nature of marriage as a permanent commitment, giving spouses an easy way out of it.

Dr Gonzi said society needed to reflect before the referendum because the decision could not be reversed. He emphasised that children and their interests should be part of the debate as marriage was not just something which affected a man and a woman, but also children.

Regardless of the divorce referendum, one however needed to reflect on a society which was changing. Ultimately,  it was not marriage which should change because of society, but the other way around.

Dr Gonzi regretted that the motion moved in parliament by the Labour Party calling for the holding of the referendum had excluded provision for the funding of a public information campaign.

He said the referendum question which the people had to reply to on May 28 was misleading and deceitful.