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D-day set, now the campaigning begins
As Malta sets a date for a historic referendum on divorce, political parties start planning their campaigns.
Opposition leader Joseph Muscat has expressed satisfaction at the expected result of a vote on a Labour motion for a referendum on divorce, that will ask voters on 28 May if they agree with divorce for spouses who have been separated for four years.
Nationalist MPs Jesmond Mugliett and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, the promoter of the divorce bill, voted as expected for the motion, which was presented by Muscat after the PN’s executive committee and MPs approved a party resolution to hold a referendum only if the bill is passed in parliament.
Muscat spoke afterwards, flanked by Evarist Bartolo, a co-signatory of the bill, and Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, who is opposing divorce, commenting on the united Labour front for the referendum.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said he expected the vote and was not surprised at the outcome, given the statements by Nationalist MPs Jesmond Mugliett and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando. “Such are the realities of the free vote. Much in the same way as Labour will be campaigning on the referendum, both myself and the party will be makng our voice heard,” Gonzi said.
Earlier on, Gonzi seconded an amendment by Opposition leader Joseph Muscat to set the date for a referendum on the 28 May. It was already clear that the Labour motion had the support of two government MPs.
In a statement, the PN reiterated claims by the prime minister and Austin Gatt that Labour had initially backed a parliamentary debate on the divorce bill, and not a referendum.
“The PN expects the coming referendum campaign to reveal how the referendum question approved in the House is neither just nor neutral, and was constructed so as to mislead the public and aid the pro-divorce campaign.”
Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson Michael Briguglio said the green party would campaign in favour of a yes vote. “AD urges all those who are in favour of the introduction of divorce as well as those who do not agree with divorce but do not want to prohibit others from this right, to vote yes in the referendum. Those who want to deny divorce to the thousands who need this civil right should not be allowed to prevail.”
Deputy chairperson Yvonne Ebejer Arqueros said AD had been in favour of divorce since its founding in 1989. “No one is obliged to divorce but the possibility of divorce should be available in a truly liberal and pluralistic democracy.”
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Issa ma ndumux ma naraw l-attakk medjatiku mill-knisja kattolika. Fil-knejjes ,forsi fit-toroq b'xi pellegrinagg, karti fi djarna , velji ta' talb, xi dehriet tal-madonna, U wkoll nistennew xi zjarat minn xi zewg kardinali biex iwerwru lill-"fidili" li jekk jivvotaw ghad-divorzju jitilfu ruhhom !!. Il-ligi tad-divorzju mhi se ggieghel lil HADD biex jiddivorzja. Bhalma l-knisja ma ggieghel lil hadd biex jannulla zwiegu. L-annullament, li jfisser divorzju tal-knisja, qieghed hemm ghal min ghandu bzonnu u l-istess id-divorzju. Jirrikorri ghalih BISS min iz-zwieg tieghu ikun tfarrak darb'ghal dejjem. Mela sewwa, l-Knisja tista' thassar zwieg u l-gvern ma jistax jghaddi ligi li biha jhassar iz-zwieg. Kemm qeghdin tajjeb f'dan il-pajjiz tat-talibani. Dan huwa pajjiz lajk ul-knisja m'ghandha l-ebda dritt tindahal fil-ligijiet civili. Jien nibda nemmen is-sincerita' ta' dawk li huma kontra meta kemm il-knisja u kemm il-gvern ma jibqghux jaghrfu d-divorzju minn barra u ma jaghtux iktar annullamenti. Jekk ma jirrinunzjawx ghal dawn mela nghid li l-biki kollu li qed jibku huwa kollu dmugh tal-kukkudrilli.
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This Divorce issue is not a matter of winning the labour Or The PN. This is a serious delicate matter of the citizens. jesmond Mugliette and Jeffrey Pulicino Orlando Did the most courages thing, that a MP had ever done- All they did was cause they have good hearts toward the people who are and who had and who will be , suffered from a broken marriages.
It's all in the hands of the maltese people now. let us see how many people will show solidarity now, between us maltese. We always are ready to help foreigners in their troubles, now it's time to see our solidarity.
Today it is me or you, tomorrow can be my son or your son, the day after can be our daughetrs, or our granchildren, Unfortunateley. So yes soemthing must be done- the divorce law must pass.
I feel angry , when hearing people saying they are against, whatever is the reason. Who is serious person never wishes to divorce, but what if, he was married by lies? what if he or she was abandoned and the woman started a new family with kids with another man? wheer si our love , when we say we are christian to let a person still legally married to that woman or to that man?
let us see the solidarity between us maltese now.
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it's a shame to hear people like Austin , Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici and other lawyers ,have put shame on themselves by speaking with such arrogance against a divorce Law. They are not worthed as a Lawyers.
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This Divorce issue is not a matter of winning the labour Or The PN. This is a serious delicate matter of the citizens. jesmond Mugliette and Jeffrey Pulicino Orlando Did the most courages thing, that a MP had ever done- All they did was cause they have good hearts toward the people who are and who had and who will be , suffered from a broken marriages.
It's all in the hands of the maltese people now. let us see how many people will show solidarity now, between us maltese. We always are ready to help foreigners in their troubles, now it's time to see our solidarity.
Today it is me or you, tomorrow can be my son or your son, the day after can be our daughetrs, or our granchildren, Unfortunateley. So yes soemthing must be done- the divorce law must pass.
I feel angry , when hearing people saying they are against, whatever is the reason. Who is serious person never wishes to divorce, but what if, he was married by lies? what if he or she was abandoned and the woman started a new family with kids with another man? wheer si our love , when we say we are christian to let a person still legally married to that woman or to that man?
let us see the solidarity between us maltese now.
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Jean Piere mur inheba. Ma tisthix? Fil komma din.
duncan abela •
The vote was a watershed in Maltese politics. It opens the way to a more liberal society integrated not only physically to europe but more importantly rationally through secularist shared ideals and individual freedoms . I almost feared that JPO and JM would succumb to allurements and sweeteners from the government side once the PM had nailed his flag on the anti-divorce mast so strongly. Bully to JPO and JM that they maintained their position and after the Mistra debacle JPO has certainly earned his spurs and gone up a couple of notches in my esteem. That JPO guy does have chutzpah.
We will now have to bear in the upcoming campaign the most inane , repeated arguments for and against divorce ad nausea. The important thing is that the tight walls of old fashioned conservatism have been breached and will soon fall and give liberal European values a chance to flourish.
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Where was Jean Piere Farrugia ?all his chatter about the citizen's right came to nothing when he had the chance by his vote to show that he really cares. Its the second time that he showed us that all he cares about is just himself.
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Din tad Divorzju ghal min jizzeweg bir Registru(BIC CIVIL) mhux bil knisja, ma nafx ghala dil krucjata mil gvern kontra id dhul tad divorzju. Min jizzeweg bil-knisja qatt ma ghandu dritt ghad divorzju anka jekk tghaddi tal IVA fir referendum. MHUX HA TAFFETWA LIZ ZWIEGIJIET TAL-KNISJA ghalhekk iz zwiegijiet mhux ha jkunu gherusija kif qal il PM Gonzi.!
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Nispera li l-Knisja Maltija toqghod il-boghod minn krucjata ohra bhal ma kien jaghmel iz-ziju Michael. Dak bghat eluf ta' nies l-infern (minghalih) u tefa' l-knisja 20 sena lura. Nispera li l-Arcisqof li ghandna ma jiehux il-parir tal-hafna Nazzjonalisti pittmi li hu mdawwar bihom u jibza' ghall-merhla. Ikun ahjar hafna jekk Gvern u Knisja jikkoncentraw aktar fuq il-htigijiet tal-familji u jirrangaw il-kawzi li qed jikkagunaw wiehed minn kull tleit zwigijiet li jisfratta. Per ezempju: l-kilba ghall-loghob, l-gholi esagerat tal-hajja, l-livell ta' illiterizmu etc etc
Godfrey Grech •
You've seen nothing yet james grech. The big guns stiil have to come out. Unfortunately.
chris caruana turner •
Campaigning? I will start vomiting if there is more pros- and cons discussions about divorce. From what has been said, it is clear that the pros have better arguments then the feeble cons with all their religious stuff and warnings of doom. People have already had enough of this bulls**t.
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The first time Labour has obtained a majority vote in Parliament since 1988. Good. A new beginning.
