Fear factor gives NO camp a final push

Polls separately conducted by MISCO and the Malta Labour Party are showing a late but consistent swing in favour of the no camp in the final days of the campaign.

Although the result remains too close to call, these polls appear have increased the likelihood of a no victory.

The latest published polls by MaltaToday and the Sunday Times last Sunday indicated that up until last week, the Yes was leading the No camp by 7 to 8 percentage points.

This suggested a recovery by the Yes camp over the previous two weeks, following major No gains after Easter: when the Yes vote plummeted from 52% before the campaign, to just 36% in the first week of May. Over te same period the No edged ahead with a minimal advantage.

But both surveys published last Sunday indicated that the result was too close to call due to the fact that 20% of respondents were still undecided.

This newspaper is informed that separate surveys conducted on Monday both show a reversal of this trend.

Surveys conducted both MISCO and the Malta Labour Party on a daily basis are showing the No campaign garnering support among previously undecided voters.

This swing comes at a time when the No camp mounted an aggressive offensive aimed at undecided female voters, a category identified by previous surveys as likelier to vote No.

During the past days the anti-divorce campaign has appealed to the insecurities of middle aged female voters concerned about alimony, while mounting a bill board campaign which exploits to the full the emotional baggage associated with the suffering of children due to marital breakdown.

Added to this was a carefully scripted pastoral letter by the Archbishops which avoided threatening believers with sin – a tactic which seems to have backfired – while making the Church’s stance against divorce clear.

The No camp is also banking on a strong showing in Gozo, which could make up for its unpopularity with younger voters in Malta.  It was no coincidence that last Sunday, the Zwieg Bla Divorzju movement chose Gozo as the location for its public activities.

The No camp is also banking on the support of residents in old people’s homes, who are not accounted for in surveys. 

MaltaToday will be publishing its final survey results on its portal 

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Ghal Grazzja t'Alla ilni mizzewweg 50 sena Dan irnexxa ghax il-mara tieghi u jien ghamilna s-Sagrificcji biex minkejja d-diffikultajiet kollha nzommu r-Rabta li hlifna quddiem xukxin fil-prezenenza tas-Sacerdot 50 sena ilu nzommuha. Apparti l-argumenti kollha li qed jingiebu ma nistax nifhem ghaliex qed tizzeffen il-Knisja !!!! Bhal Kattoliku ma nistax naqbel li l-Knisja ma ghandiex tidhol f'din il-Kwistjoni lghax wara kollox ghanda mhux biss Dmir imma Obligu li tiggwida lill-Kattolici,it-Taghlim dwar it-Taghlim ta'Sidna Gesu Kristu li z-Zwieg huwa bejn Ragel wiehed u Mara wahda Biss u ghal-Dejjem u dak li Ghaqqad Alla ma ghandux jifirdu l-Bniedem. Id-Divorzju jinjora l-Kelma t'Alla...xejn izjed u xejn anqas Issa wara kollox meta kull wiehed u wahda ninnha jidher quddiem All u din ZGUR hadd ma jista jahraba..inwiegbu Quddiemu
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SACRAMENT=> Outward sign of an inward grace - That’s what the catechism says. . What happens when the inward grace collapses? When only STRIFE becomes the outward sign? . I like the invention of CONFESSION as a sacrament. This one is an Outward Sign of the church’s inner Corruption. I understand the clergy confess to one another thus giving each other the right to screw up the world without being accountable to anyone for anything. . How very, very SAD that so many cannot see this sham and profoundly corrupt institution for what it is.
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Meta mara ssir soru hi TIZZEWWEG LIL-KRISTU. Tant hu hekk li jlibbsuha b'salib fuqu, ghax tkun izzewwget lil Kristu GHAL-DEJJEM ! Imma s-sorijiet jistghu johorgu u anki jizzewgu lil bniedem komuni WARA li kienu mizzewgin lil-Kristu ! Imma jekk persuna mizzewga jitkissrilha z-zwieg, din tibqa kkundannata ghal ghomorha !!! Ghadkhom ma xbajtux tindottrinaw lill-poplu gwejjed Malti - -AKTAR LILL-GHAWDXIN - bi hrejjef foloz !
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Going through the 'TIMELINE OF BIBLE TRANSLATION HISTORY ' I came across this VERY RELEVANT PIECE TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MALTA TODAY : " Having God's word available to the public in the language of the common man, English, would have meant disaster to the Church ! No longer would they control access to the scriptures. If people were able to read the Bible in their own tongue, the Church's income and power would crumble. They could not possibly continue to get away with selling indulgencies ( the forgiveness of sins ) or selling the release of loved ones from a Church-manufactured " PURGOTRY ". People would begin to challenge the Church's authority if the Church was exposed as frauds and thieves. The contradictions between WHAT GOD'S WORD SAID, AND WHAT THE PRIESTS TAUGHT ( my italics ) would open the public's eyes and the truth would set them free from the grip of fear that the institutional Church had. Salvation through faith, not works or donations, would be understood ". Recent happenings in Malta today, show that the MALTESE CHURCH could have been the Church referred to in the above writings !!
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How ethical was this referendum? attacking the masses emotional vulnerabilities to purposely make them feel 'guilty' is a bit below the belt, don't you think?
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An unofficial boycott of Gozo (similar to the 96-98 one) is a real possibility. Maybe the Bishop will keep business afloat to repay them.
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An unofficial boycott of Gozo (similar to the 96-98 one) is a real possibility. Maybe the Bishop will keep business afloat to repay them.
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dawn il polls huma kollha HMERIJIET jien jistaw jigu u issaqsuni kif ser nivvota tal LE u ezempju jien nghid Le biex ma ma tatijomhx sodifazjon xser naghmel ALLURA dawn kollha HMERIJIET ezempju iehor jekk immoru lejn FORTIZZI Nazjonalisti dawn ZGUR LI SER GHIDULHOM LE Ghallhekk INHEGGEG LIL POPLU BIEX JIGGIELED GHAD DRITTIJIET TIEGHU BILLI JIVVOTA IVA EZEMPJU IEHOR META QASSIS JEW SORU JIXBAW DAWN JISTAW JOHORGU MIN QASSISIN U SORIJIET GHALLURA DAWN XI DRTITIJIT GHANDHOM BIEZ JOHORGU U IN NIES CIVILI META ZWIEG TAGHHOM JITFARRAK MA GHANDHOMX TRID JERGAW JIZZEWWEGU
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My children use to do the same as the child in the billboard, before I separated!! Do you think if I divorce it will make a difference to them now, after we did the best we could to rebuild our lives, and as punishment from the Maltese law I am considered to be committing adultery if I move on and have a partner. I cannot bear to hear remarks from people who have never been in such a situation, especially those who say that if we have divorce in Malta then people will marry with a divorce mentality, I never married with a separation mentality. Or should people stay in such a marriage that is causing more damage to the children then an actual divorce. The people saying No to divorce have not found an alternative to people in such situations, and the alternative should have been part of their campaign.
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Don't be afraid. Read the Mullah's anti-pastoral letter and you'll know why. https://mazzun.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/il-kontropastoral-tal-mullah-divorzistan-fuq-facebook/
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Brain washing and primitive intimidations seem to work. But hope the unpredicatable Maltese will vote YES.
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Joseph Sant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_DQUAuNUvw&feature=related A movie from 1960 - and we are still debating this in 2011!
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employee - the little boy is crying because the church granted his parents an annulment. And the petition for an annulment wasn't agreed by both his parents either ... but what the heck ... you don't mess with the church. We should ALL KNOW THIS BY NOW. Let's not break our heads against its solid boron nitride wall. Do you KNOW what LIES behind its secret walls? The best solution - if you care for your mind, body and soul - is to break away. Common sense!
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They are already forcing the ill and old people to vote no from their sick-beds. See http://mazzun.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/jimmobilizzaw-ix-xjuh-u-l-batuti/
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I see this child crying on the poster and I ask myself: Is he crying because he wants his parents tostay together ? Could he be crying after an encounter with some pedophile priest ? or after being mistreated by some nun in an orphanage ???
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Silent Citizen, Tidher illi int mhux il-familja thobb, izda lill- Lawrence Gonzi u l-PN. Iz-zmien tal-qassisin pulitikanti spicca. Issa huwa z-zmien tal-pulitikanti qassisin. Uhud minn dawk li qed jipprofessaw li jhobbu l-familja u l-ulied Alla hares inkunu nafu xi qrun ghandhom ! U dalwaqt jasal iz-zmien illi l-poplu Malti jigi 'nfurmat b'dawn il-foloz. Kuragg Maltin. Morru ivvutaw IVA biex nibdew it-triq li ninfatmu mid-dlam, rapprezentat tant tajjeb mill-Isqfijiet u minn Lawrence Gonzi !!!!
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Lill dawk kollha li qedin igibu kull skuza biex ma jidholx (sic) id-divorzju nistaqsihom : Fejn kontu meta gie accettat l-ewwel divorzju f'Malta li kien gie migjub minn qorti barranija ? Xorta bqajna laghqa tall barrani !!!!
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Divorce is only the correction of your state marrige certificate,after 4 years of seperation issued by the law courts,to give the oppurunity to people who needs to remarry and form a new happy family,at the moment if you remarry its a crime called begamy,so dont let these people control your minds with fear and hypnotise you, If next Saturday you are at the polling booth and you are fearful to vote YES!! Remember that fear is the oldest political tactic in the world!Why do you think it took over 10,000 years for 99%of the people to become,more than serves,slaves and peasants? The answer is, because they were afraid to stand up for their rights.Wake up Malta and stand to be counted Vote a big YES NEXT SATURDAY!
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"Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is." ---- German Proverb. This is 2011. Ghadna nibzghu mill-BABAW????? We are facing a flock of mockingbirds. They mimic others with lies and half truths. They hijacked religion and religious symbols. May God forgive them. Where is their compassion? What do they care about the people who are suffering. They are only interested in power and some of them in their Government appointments.
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Kullhadd differenti ,hekk hu, mela kulhadd jara differenti, bhal pittura ,kulhadd jaraha bil-mod tieghu. Ezempju jiena nhares lejn dana r-ritratt, u nahseb ftit ,l-ewwel haga li hsibt taf x'kienet? vouldire ,l-impressjoni tieghi? Miskina dikha tifla jew tifel ghalqet jew ghalaq ghajnejn ghax forsi qedhda fi zwieg imkisser. meta nghidhu zwieg imkisser , tfisser dawk li qedghin flimkien jghixu ,glied ,taghjjir, tradimenti , insulti, ingurji u jista jkun ukoll swat. Hemmhekk jagghlqu ghajnejjom t-tfal. U mhux ghajnejhom biss jaghlqu ta, imma nahseb anke mohhom, jaghmel speci ta auto hypnosis. "Il-Biza hija l-ghadhu tal-bniedem fragli, jekk tibza qatt ma taffacja r-realta". RESIST OR SERVE!
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Alex Grech
blame all those who were behind the idea for a referendum! JPO did a grave mistake by compromising with Gonzi on this stand!
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Ara veru pajjiz tal-ipokrita ta. Dawn li qed tahraqom qalbhom ghall familji b'sahhitom u ghat-tfal, fejn kienu meta id-divorzju diga gie accettat f'pajjizna ? Tafu li min jista jgibu minn barra, dan l-istat ta' qaddisin aktar mill-papa, jaccetta id-divorzju b'idejh miftuhin. Iva ipokrezija grassa.
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This is how the Nats win elections. no surprise in this strategy.
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Sur - john67 - Din hi t-tattika tagħkom, li min ma jaqbilx magħkom tghħjruh 'brigand' u qabar 'imbajjad'? Argumenti ma ġibtx. Jekk inti mħajjar għall-infern, għalkemm jiddispjaċini ghħlik, ma nindaħallekx. L-għazla f'idejk.
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Silent citizen. Please note. Mattew 6;5.6 "U meta titolbu, tkunux bhal dawk ta' zewgt ucuh, li jhobbu jitolbu weqfin fis-sinagogi u f'salib it-toroq, biex jidhru quddiem in-nies; nghidilkom is-sewwa hadu l-hlas li haqqhom. Imma int, meta titlob, idhol fil-kamra tieghek, aghlaq il-bieb u itlob'il missierek, li qieghed fil-mohbi wkoll, u missierek, li jara mqar dak li hu mohbi, ihallsek".
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If all those in favour of the bill for divorce go out and vote Yes, than the Yes vote will win. So, everyone of use need to convince the Yes votes to go and vote, since the No camp with squeeze every vote they can. It's going to depend on the turn out and which camp gets most voters out to vote this saturday.
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If divorce pass the AD will get my PN vote. I've done it for the MEPs I am ready to do it again.
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Grzegorz Tomski
It's a pity. We're letting the church impose itself on matters of the state. I voted Yes for the EU in 2003, hoping that this country's mentality would change, but alas, we didn't! If the No wins, I will not vote for the Nationalist Party again.
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I will be voting 'YES' but the 'No' vote will prevail thanks to the scaremongering of the church in Malta which remains as intolerant as it was in 1960. Never thought that its hold on its faithful is so strong. But then in Malta we were always a century backwards!
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Sur Silent Citizen, jekk trid titlob m'hemmx bzonn il-knisja. U jekk ser insib lilek jew xi brigant iehor tal-le jew tal-Knisja Maltija il-genna, ahjar immur l-infern, hemm almenu ma ma narax oqbra mbajda.
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Qatt ma kont nobsor li se nkunu avżati fuq il-kartellun tal-Orizzont li ż-Żurrieq SE JĦALLU L-KNISJA NIFTUĦA MAL-LEJL. Nirringrazzja lil-kull min hu nvolut għax hekk min ma jistax imur jitlob binhar, minħabba x-xogħol, jista’ jmur bil-lejl. Hu importanti, apparti t-taparsi surveys, li KULHADD IMUR JIVVOTA 'LE'. Kun ma' dawk li vera jhobbu l-familja Maltija.
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PAY ATTENTION ALL: Tal-"LE" qeghdin ibezzghu lin-nisa dwar il-manteniment li jistghu jitilfu jekk jidhol id-divorzju. Jiena nixtieq nigbed l-attenzjoni ,l-aktar tan-nisa, u wkoll tal-LE ghal sentenza tal-Qorti tal-Appell li naghtat fit-3 ta'Ottubru, 2008. F'din il-famuza sentenza, li dizgrazzjatament ma tantx qanqlet diskussjoni, sirt naf biha minn artiklu li kienet kitbet L-avukatessa Anna Mallia fil-Gazzetta "MALTA TODAY" tat-8 ta' Ottubru, 2008, bit-titlu "WOMEN UNITE!". Ser nikkwota verbatin x'kitbet Dr.Mallia: "The court of appeal ruled that a wife had no right to claim maintenance from her husband in perpetuity and decided that after the children reach the age of 12, the wife must go and get herself a job". Furthermore, she wrote,"Our law states that the right to maintenance is forfeited when the spouse abandons the matrimonial home or for reasons of adultery". I think that these statements say a lot and must be brought to the attention of all, especially women and the ever-muddled minds of the NO movement.
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This is EXACTLY how the church operates. Fear, threats and intimidation are the norms, giving me all the more reason to vote against this terrorist organisation.
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Sur Piccinino, altru li trid tkun iblah biex ma tindunax li jekk jirbah il-LE dan ikun gara ghax eluf kbar ghadhom ma jahsbux b'mohhom u jhallu lil qassissin ibellghulhom il-hrejjef tal-infern u " li trid tghati kont l-Alla " etc.. etc.. Mhux se tghid li dawn l-affarijiet ma grawx u ghadhom jigru hux, Sur Piccinino ? U ara x'gej nhar is-Sibt Wasal iz-zmien li lil Knisja f'Malta nibdew nirreferu ghaliha bhala l-" KNISJA MALTIJA " MHux il-Knisja Kattolika. Ghax imkien fid-dinja m'hemm il-Knisja b'poteri akbar minn tal-Istat fejn jidhol iz-zwieg !! Eddy privitera
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My wife yesterday received a letter from the no camop with the same fear message. Behold the Inquisition is coming. A No vote will be very bad news indeed. Let us not tolerate the coercion being levied on the old and helpless. I am confident that there will be a surprise.
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In-nies mhux boloh ta... tinduna min verament qiegħed jgħid il-verita' u min hu l-aktar konvinċenti. Minkejja li l-media xebet tgħid li tal-le qed ibeżżgħu.
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Ian George Walker
Their arguments have been shown to be fallacious and baseless over and over again. Fear and deceit are the only weapons they have left. Sadly, they are very effective weapons. And they know how to use them.