Labour Party Deputy Leader Toni Abela insisted this afternoon that he was against abortion, but the Nationalist party said that his statement, a few days after his comments on the TV programme Dissett, were 'laughable and unbelievable'.

In a statement, Dr Abela said that a malicious campaign had been mounted against him after comments he gave on the TV programme Dissett. On the programme, he said, he had been asked about a 2003 interview by a newspaper where he was questioned about abortion in the context of the war in the Balkans.

He had made it clear on Dissett that that was the opinion he had at the time.

"I publicly declare that that I have since then changed my view and my position is against any abortion, " Dr Abela said.

He said that Joseph Muscat had made the PL's position against abortion very clear, and he agreed with that position.

Dr Abela said he was always pro-life and he was actually the only lawyer in Malta who had sought and been granted a warrant to stop a woman from going abroad for an abortion. He had given this service without charge and, Dr Abela said, he did not institute proceedings that he did not believe in.

PN REACTION

The Nationalist Party said that Dr Abela's position on abortion was shameful.

It said that Dr Abela had confirmed that he had been of the view that abortion should be allowed in certain cases, but now he was saying he had changed his view.

This, the PN said, was nothing but shameful political convenience. When he spoke freely to a newspaper, he had been in favour of abortion in certain circumstances, such as in cases where the baby had disabilities.

Dr Abela had said:

"I agree with abortion, if the life of the mother is in danger, in the case of rape and if it is certain that the unborn foetus will be a severely handicapped child."

On Dissett a few days ago, Dr Abela had reiterated his position in favour of abortion in certain circumstances, yet the PL deputy leader was now attacking those who reported that he had said. It would have been more serious and ethically correct had he apologised instead of attacking the media, the PN said.

That he was now saying that he had changed his position was laughable and unbelievable, the PN added.