Updated | 'Divorce should be a civil right' - Moviment Iva

Pouring fuel on an already-raging fiery debate, former President Eddie Fenech Adami maintains that divorce is not a civil right, and that Malta should be ‘proud’ of its divorce-free status.

Delivered during a dialogue held on Sunday at the Santa Lucija Nationalist Party club, EFA’s remarks come as the country is gearing up for a referendum campaign on whether or not Malta should introduce divorce legislation.

Malta is currently the only EU state to not have divorce legislation – something which many in the pro-divorce camp are pointing to as part of their stance.

“I do not accept the pro-divorce argument that only Malta and the Philippines do not have divorce and, so, our country should have such legislation. “Does this mean we will be contracting marriage for a defined period if divorce were to become law? Will we have to change the definition of marriage?” he asked.

Referring to countries that allow divorce despite the definition of marriage not being changed, Fenech Adami said the rest of the world is “living a contradiction”.

Speaking during a meeting between the pro-divorce movement and the Head of the Opposition Joseph Muscat, Schembri maintained that there was nothing to be proud of in the rate of Malta's marital break-ups, emphasising that the country needed divorce legislation to be able to cater and support these individuals.

She pointed out that divorce legislation would allow regulation on what she described as the "chaos" of separated couples co-habiting with partners along with children born during the previous wedding as well as children born between the new 'couple'.

Reacting to EFA's statements, PL parliamentary member and pro-divorce committee member Evarist Bartolo maintained that “I would have expected him (EFA) to be more compassionate and less self-righteous in his remarks.”

He substantiated this statement by affirming that “not everyone in Malta has the opportunity to, in the case of martial difficulty, obtain an annulment.”

Bartolo also disagreed with EFA that Malta should be proud of being ‘divorce-free’. “We shouldn’t be proud of leaving so many people facing difficulties as a result of not being able to regularise their marital position,” he said, also referring to the difficulties faced by children in the same circumstances. "We need a level playing field."

Speaking as a married man, Bartolo affirmed that "simply because I won't be needing divorce legislation, I wouldn't get up and express such a lack of concern towards those who aren't in my same situation."

Asked for a reaction, PN parliamentary member Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando affirmed that where the government to introduce co-habitation law without introducing divorce legislation means that the government would be effectively encouraging co-habitation over marriage.

"Currently, women being abandoned by their partners after having invested a lifetime of work and commitment into caring and raising that family are left with nothing. We need divorce regulations that can also ensure that these women receive an adequate alimony from their former partners," he affirmed.

"I let everyone express themselves as they see fit," Pullicino Orlando replied noncommittally.