Video | 'We are not partisan, but united in something we believe in' - IVA movement

Moviment Iva chairperson Deborah Schembri stressed that the committee had nothing to do with political affiliations.

“The committee is not a partisan group,” Schembri said. “We have united to support something we believe in and help others take an informed decision.”

Schembri, who is a family lawyer, said there is “confusion surrounding divorce”.

“There is the State Law and then there is the Law of the Church. Our movement  is not going to intrude on the Church’s affairs.”

“We believe that a law that permits divorce for civil marriages does not impose on any individual a departure from that individual’s religious beliefs, since one can always choose not to remarry.”

“If Malta is truly an open, pluralistic, democratic society where there is a separation between the Church and The State, then one is at liberty to practice a religion and at liberty to practice no institutionalised religion at all,” Schembri said.

She said that as a group they acknowledge the strength marriage has and how important it is for children to grow up in a united family.

“However, we cannot deny the reality that there are families who have been broken beyond repair,” Schembri said. “We have to recognise the fact that not all families are united and not all marriages are strong.”

Schembri reiterated that divorce is not the cause of family breakdown.

“If it was so then in Malta no one would be separated. However Malta’s reality is far from this,” she said adding that this does not mean that whoever gets divorced will remarry.

“Divorce is legalising a person’s reality. Even though a couple is legally separated, the law still calls them ‘husband’ and ‘wife’. And this is far from their reality,” Schembri insisted.

The lobby group reiterated that as the current Law stands, it is discriminatory against Maltese citizens.

“Given that the State of Malta recognises divorces given to Maltese citizens by a foreign court, it is unjust that other Maltese citizen are not in a position to obtain a divorce from abroad are not given the same right under Maltese law.”

The committee is coordinating the campaign in favour of the Divorce Bill as proposed by Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando. Its chairperson said that the new law would not affect those who are happily married but will give a second chance to those who want to form a family where the first one has not succeeded.

The bill as proposed safeguards family members and has as its priorities the children’s welfare, Schembri said.

“It is not a quick fix divorce as many believe. Before a couple can divorce the Courts will ascertain that all reconciliation efforts have been exhausted,” she explained. “The divorce law as we propose it places the onus on the lawyer.”

Schembri said that the lawyer in charge of the couple’s divorce will have to fill in and sign a formula where he/she declares that despite all efforts, the marriage has irretrievably broken down.

Asked by the members of the press when the Bill will be discussed in Parliament, Pullicino Orlando said he did not know, but there “is a commitment by the Prime Minister that the issue will be on the agenda.”

Pullicino Orlando said the Bill would be proposed in a first reading, followed by a debated on second reading and possibly in committee, followed by a possible referendum which then would reach the final reading.

He has high hopes that if it comes to a referendum, the Members of Parliament would then honor the want of the citizens and pass the Bill as law.

“However we acknowledge that there might be MPs who would abstain from voting,” Pullicino Orlando said.

The committee is also composed of Labour MP Evarist Bartolo, Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson Michael Briguglio, former Nationalist minister Michael Falzon, entrepreneur Marlene Mizzi (Labour business bureau), AD civil rights spokesperson Yvonne Ebejer-Arqueros, Today Public Policy Institute chairman Martin Scicluna, and David Micallef St. John, Roderick Bartolo, and Etienne Borg.

Whilst the Nationalist MP says he forms part of the cross-party committee out of his own will, Bartolo noted out that he has the “go ahead” from the Opposition Leader.