A bill on the situation of cohabiting couples should be moved in Parliament before the end of this year.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said this morning during an interview on Radio 101 that this was an issue on which the government had mandate to proceed.

Dr Gonzi said that, on the other hand, no party in Malta had a mandate to introduce divorce and this was such a delicate matter that a decision should not be taken just by 69 MPs but by the people.

A divorce debate, he said, was necessary and in discussing divorce one would be discussing the family.

“Without getting ourselves emotional, we have to accept fact there are different opinions, people in different situations,” he said.

Dr Gonzi insisted that the country should continue to discuss the issue calmly and objectively.

A meeting within the PN Parliamentary Group was followed by a meeting of the party’s administrative council during which Dr Gonzi told members he was of the opinion that discussion could continue.

His proposal, he said, was that the matter should be left up to the electorate.

He pointed out that there was still a lot to be done regarding the family court and the country should also continue focusing on how certain situations could be avoided.