EFA: referendum was consultative, MPs must vote according to conscience
The ‘father of European Malta’ whose hallmark was putting Malta in the EU after passing a historic referendum, said the divorce referendum was “nothing else but consultative” and that MPs should abide by their consciences when they vote on the divorce bill.
President emeritus Eddie Fenech Adami said on Radju Malta’s Ghandi Xi Nghid that the difference between the referendum on accession to the EU and the divorce referendum – both of which were consultative and not binding on MPs – was that EU accession was “political, not moral”.
“Moral principles should not be decided by democracy. Moral principles are good in themselves, you choose them even if you are the only one believing in them. You choose them because you believe they are good. That’s why I was against divorce being passed by referendum.
“Now they say MPs should respect the decision of the people. I don’t agree. The matter is a moral one, and MPs must vote yes, no or abstain according to their conscience.”
Fenech Adami says he is not suggesting that the result of the referendum – in which 53% voted in favour of a divorce bill tabled in parliament – should be ignored. “But the referendum is consultative and doesn’t oblige MPs.”
Asked by presenter Andrew Azzopardi if his opinion was at loggerheads with the public perception of Fenech Adami as someone who believed the people should be heard, the former prime minister pointed out that the EU referendum was “nothing else but political”.
“It was consultative and so I wanted to confirm that decision in a general election so that the government would have a popular mandate through its MPs, to go into Europe,” Fenech Adami said.
The party grandee reiterated his warnings of Malta taking “the downhill” to secularism, in which he conjured up the fears of abortion and gay marriages as next steps for Malta.
“Once you take that route downwards and throw away principles… there’s no stopping it. I have no doubt gay marriages should not be allowed.”
Fenech Adami, a staunch Catholic who often quotes Pope John Paul II’s Memory and Identity, says his beliefs are “objectively true” and consistent, and that this line of thought cannot be overruled by other beliefs. “You cannot impose upon my consistent and objectively true beliefs your ideas,” he said of criticism that his morality is only founded on the Roman Catholic Church’s doctrine.
He also said that the party’s soul could be imperiled by some “loose language” from liberals who could drag the party away with a current of moral relativism.
Fenech Adami said he agreed with the PN executive committee’s official position against divorce, and that there was nothing wrong in giving MPs a free vote and voice to speak as they wished on divorce, as Lawrence Gonzi did for Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, the divorce bill promoter.
“I always said that the electorate will size you up come election time. Every MP will be gauged by the electorate, which will ask if they can trust MPs or not,” Fenech Adami.



















































































