The new anti-divorce movement’s cause may enjoy the support of some members of Parliament but few appear ready to formally join.
President Emeritus Eddie Fenech Adami will not be part of the movement either, as some may have expected him to given his anti-divorce statements.
“I have not been asked to form part of the movement and I will not be part of it. I agree with what they are doing but I do not feel I have to be active,” he said yesterday.
Dr Fenech Adami recently said the fact that Malta was one of only two countries without divorce was no justification for its introduction. He said the rest of the world was living the contradiction of having marriage for life but still allowing divorce.
Although at the launch of the Marriage Without Divorce movement, its chairman, Andrè Camilleri, said he had received many messages of support from politicians from both sides of the House, he refused to reveal any names, adding they would be announced in the future.
However, a straw poll of MPs by The Times showed that although some supported the cause they were less inclined to be identified with the movement. Most had only heard about it in the news on Wednesday when it was formally presented to the media.
Nationalist backbencher Charlo Bonnici was the only one contacted by this newspaper ready to join up. He admitted to having informally talked to some of the people involved.
“I have not been formally approached to form part of the movement but I support their position and, if I am invited to, I will lend my voice to its cause,” he said, adding his position was clearly against the introduction of divorce.
Fellow Nationalist MP Beppe Fenech Adami, who is against the introduction of divorce, said he was sympathetic to the cause but steered clear from being identified with the movement. “My support is for a position not a movement.” He sympathised with and supported those who had the same position as he did.
Nationalist backbencher Edwin Vassallo, also against divorce, admitted he only got to know about the initiative through the news. “As a politician I do not feel I should form part of any movement but my commitment, irrespective of whether divorce is introduced or not, is towards strengthening the family,” he said.
Labour MP Carmelo Abela said he did not wish to be pigeon-holed on either side of the yes or no debate. “I have not been approached by the movement but I would rather see a wide-ranging debate that focuses on the family and how we can best support it,” Mr Abela said.
He lamented what he saw as little concrete action being taken to support families despite a consensus on the need to do this. “I had spoken against the introduction of divorce but I cannot ignore the suffering of individuals whose marriage has failed. However, I would like to know what impact divorce will have on the family,” he said, insisting that if the issue came to a vote in Parliament he would decide then which way to vote.
Fellow Labour MP Silvio Parnis said he was “still forming” his opinion on divorce. “I am doing my own research on the subject and my decision will have to be based on what is good for the individual and the country,” he said, shunning the possibility of forming part of any movement.
Another MP from the Labour Party, Anthony Agius Decelis, said his religious convictions did not allow him to divorce but insisted he could not impose his views on others. “We live in a mixed society and not everybody is Roman Catholic. People should have a right to choose,” he said.
Asked about the new movement, Mr Agius Decelis said as a legislator he had a duty to listen to all arguments but did not want the divorce debate to be turned into one of extremes.
At the launch of the anti-divorce movement, Dr Camilleri said divorce weakened the bond of marriage. “It will be reduced to a flimsy and a temporary one,” he said.
The initiative was taken to counter the pro-divorce movement set up by Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, Labour MP Evarist Bartolo and Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Michael Briguglio and others.
The Marriage Without Divorce movement’s nine active members include Malta Stock Exchange chairman Arthur Galea Salomone, Cana Movement president Anna Borg, TV presenter and model Mireille Bonello and her husband DJ Pierre Cordina. It also includes University student Albert Sciberras, accountant William Buckle, senior lecturer Mario Pace and Joyce Cassar, a popular TV presenter of socio-religious programmes, who admitted she was separated.
Dr Camilleri said the movement’s first activity, to be held soon, would feature more personalities, including unionists, politicians and people in the media.