Labour MPs will not hinder the people’s will when the divorce Bill comes up for discussion in Parliament, according to Opposition leader Joseph Muscat.
“I am confident the Labour parliamentary group will respect the mandate given to them by the people,” Dr Muscat said, when asked whether his MPs will be bound by party discipline to vote in favour of the divorce Bill sponsored by Nationalist backbencher Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando and Labour MP Evarist Bartolo.
Dr Muscat yesterday reiterated his statement when asked specifically about Labour MP Adrian Vassallo, who had declared he would vote against the Bill irrespective of the referendum result. Dr Vassallo had gone on record saying that he would only vote in favour of divorce if Jesus Christ came back on earth and told him to do so.
Speaking at a press conference held after the result was out, Dr Muscat said it was now up to the Prime Minister to bring the Bill up for discussion in Parliament and to ensure the PN parliamentary group did not hinder the will of the people.
Dr Muscat described the overwhelming result as the birth of a new era. “The people have not only voted in favour of responsible divorce legislation but they have underlined the secular nature of the state. But this decision also signifies the birth of an era where political parties can no longer expect to tell the people what to do. Malta has a new generation of voters who acted independently of the political parties.”
He said there were no winners or losers but the result showed this was a nation that respected civil liberties and tolerance.
Dr Muscat singled out pro-divorce chairman Deborah Schembri when thanking all those who took part in the long and arduous campaign. She symbolised the will of Maltese women and the people in the past weeks, Dr Muscat said.
The Labour leader avoided interpreting the result along party lines. “The divorce issue went beyond whether voters were Labourites or Nationalists and it would be cheap to try and score political points from the referendum result,” Dr Muscat said.
However, he pointed out that the Labour Party remained the “natural home of everyone”.
“People have a choice between a confessional party that expected to dictate matters to the people and the Labour Party that listened to everyone without dictating. The Labour Party is the home of liberal-minded people,” Dr Muscat said.