Divorce | JPO, 'nothing to add' to remarks on 2011 debate, referendum on divorce bill

WATCH FULL EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH PN MP JEFFREY PULLICINO ORLANDO THIS SUNDAY ON WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT

Pullicino Orlando’s comments, released exclusively in a video interview with MaltaToday last Wednesday, referred to the the conclusions of a meeting he had last Monday with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg, who is also Leader of the House of Representatives.

His announcement about a referendum on divorce to be held next year were however, toned down the by the Prime Minister, who in comments to the media and forwarded to MaltaToday from Castille said the following:

“I confirm what I said from the very start of this issue in July when we had a Parliamentary Group meeting.   

“I want the discussion with respect to divorce, both within the party and outside of the party to proceed in a constructive manner because this is a decision that needs to be taken on informed basis and not on emotions or with guillotines.  

“I also insisted that the final decision needs to be taken by the electorate, and that means that once the discussion is completed in full then we should leave it up to the electorate to take a decision. I do not agree with those who argue that it is a decision that should be taken by Members of Parliament even without a mandate.  So my argument has always been consistent; I have never changed.

“I met Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, because Jeffrey had said in public that he wanted this bill to pass from Parliament by the end of this year and that was not acceptable to me.  

“We spoke and I said we are carrying on with the discussion within the party.  There’s still more meetings to be held at the level of the party which will help us to come to some sort of a solution.  

“ If no complications arise I think next year we can start the discussion in Parliament with respect to the bill because I do believe that the bill presented by a private member of the House needs to be discussed. So next year we will go through this discussion.  

“We’ll see what happens in Parliament because I don’t want anyone to jump the gun and I don’t want anyone to start talking about referenda and all this because there is a parliamentary process that needs to go ahead with respect to every MP who will be given the opportunity to speak. And then, the end result, of all of this will be decided at the appropriate time, but I think as Prime Minister and as leader of my Party it is only correct, to insist that the final decision on how to conclude this issue must be taken after Members of Parliament have expressed themselves.  So that is the position,” the Prime Minister said.

PL REACTION TO DIVORCE BILL, REFERENDUM IN 2011 ANNOUNCEMENT CONTROVERSY 

The Labour Party said the latest events “clearly confirmed” that the Prime Minister has lost control over his party and was being led on this important issue instead of leading.

The PL said there was a fundamental problem with having an anti-divorce Prime Minister moving legislation and a referendum with which he did not agree.

“As a leader, Joseph Muscat is a consistent advocate of ‘responsible divorce’ and will continue to campaign for it, be it in a parliamentary or a referendum vote, while acknowledging that freedom of conscience must be granted to those taking the decision,” the PL said.

On the other hand, Lawrence Gonzi first refused to discuss the subject, then tried to “buy time” when a Bill was presented by one of his own MPs and now seems to have committed himself “privately” to a referendum despite the internal debate within his party, it added.