Gonzi blames Muscat: PL referendum motion killed debate on divorce bill

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has claimed the ‘original law for the introduction of divorce “has failed” and that the Opposition does not have enough MPs to back the law.

“It is a fact that the original failed in parliament, because if there was a majority for this law in parliament… we would have held a debate on that law. The fact that the Opposition leader chose to abandon this law means he has no majority and chose a new road, the referendum, which is very different from his original position,” he told in comments to The Times.

Gonzi, who said he would vote against a divorce law even when his party said a referendum should be held only if MPs pass a divorce law, said the idea to hold a referendum had been their aim from the start. “That is why we wanted to hold a referendum if the law passes.”

Gonzi also said Muscat’s motion on Monday to hold a referendum had “killed the debate” on Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s and Evarist Bartolo’s divorce bill. “Once the bill was shelved, that means that we won’t be debating the law until the referendum date in parliament.”

In his comments, the prime minister insisted that the divorce bill has now been “discarded”, because the original procedure was to discuss the bill but the Labour motion had bypassed that process.

“The law did not have the majority of MPs behind it,” Gonzi said, even though no parliamentary vote was ever taken on the bill.

“The position to allow the people to vote on a referendum was our original position, but not Labour’s. When the PL realised it did not have the majority of MPs behind divorce, it chose to abandon the law.

“I would have preferred to do the same as the Irish had done, having a clear Bill that people understand what it is, and then go to vote on it in a referendum,” Gonzi said.

The prime minister said he wants to agree on a date and question with Joseph Muscat. “I think we don’t need to argue on procedure… on substance yes, I am against divorce and he is in favour.”

Gonzi wants a referendum question that asks people whether or not they agreed on the introduction of divorce. This last proposal has already been rejected by Joseph Muscat who has so far stuck to the questions listed in a Labour motion, which asks people to vote on the law itself; and by Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando who stressed that he stressed that he is totally against such a question.