Marlene Pullicino says she 'offered' JPO to present divorce bill together

Speaking during a seminar organised by the Green European Foundation and AD's sister foundation, Fondazzjoni Ceratonia, Marlene Pullicino divulged how, during a plane flight which both her and her estranged husband undertook for personal reasons, he informally told her of his intention to present the contentious divorce bill.

“At the time, I immediately offered my support to the bill and proposed to present it jointly,” Pullicino said. 

Asked what JPO’s reaction to her proposition was, Pullicino said how the PN MP was “neutral” and non-committal. “I’m not one to pressure people, so I let it drop.”

She explained how the very next day after JPO had presented the bill in parliament, she had called up Party Leader Joseph Muscat to “let him know that I knew and that I had offered to present it jointly.”

“I asked him if I should speak to the media of this, but he told me to let it slide,” Pullicino also said.

Asked why she was divulging this information only now – a full two months after the bill was  presented – Pullicino simply answered “because I was asked,” referring to a question fielded during the seminar.

During the seminar itself, Pullicino affirmed how she was "ready to take the political risk" and affirmed that she saw it as an opportunity to “elevate the issue beyond partisan boundaries.”

Meanwhile, Alternattiva Demokratika has announced it will campaign in favour of the introduction of divorce in Malta, as the prospect of a referendum looks more likely.

“Divorce should form part of Malta’s legislation as it is a basic civil right which should be guaranteed even if a minority requires it,” green party chairperson Michael Briguglio said today in a seminar on divorce organised by AD.

“Unfortunately both the Nationalist and Labour parties do not have the courage to pronounce themselves on the position.Both parties are aiming to please everyone and are therefore conveniently relying on a referendum on this issue.

“Given the lack of responsibility of both the PN and PL, and given that the Prime Minister seems to have decided in favour of a referendum, AD will be campaigning for a YES vote for the introduction of divorce,” Briguglio said.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has indicated he wants a referendum on divorce, but it is still unclear whether this will happen after MPs pass Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s divorce bill before the people get to vote on a concrete law.

The bill is set to be debated in parliament at the beginning of 2011.

“Such a campaign should be led by those who are truly in favour of the introduction of such a basic civil right. AD is appealing to all those who are in favour of the introduction of divorce to stand up and be counted for the introduction of divorce in Malta,” Briguglio said.

Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer, AD spokesperson for civil rights, said AD had first proposed a divorce provision to the Marriage Act in 1992 and in all subsequent electoral programmes.

“For the past 20 years AD has been the only political party to talk about this basic civil right. Even Archbishop Paul Cremona said in one of his statement that AD was the only party to include divorce in its manifestos!

“Divorce will not cure all society’s problems but it will definitely put an end to the discriminatory state of affairs where only divorces obtained in another country are recognised.”