Narrow majority favour anti-abortion proposal

A small majority of respondents in an online poll by The Times agree with Justice Minister Tonio Borg's proposal to entrench the anti-abortion law in the Constitution.

Respondents were almost split down the middle over the issue, with only 56.23 per cent for the proposal and 43.77 per cent against.

The result is not necessarily representative of the population as a whole.

The overwhelming majority of those who included their comment with the vote were against the proposal. A number of them said there were other, far more important things for the government to tackle.

"This proposal is nothing but a cynical ploy by the government to distract people from much more pressing issues, such as the economy and the environment," one respondent said.

Another dubbed it "a propaganda exercise", adding that anybody who disagreed, even for valid reasons, would be misinterpreted as being in favour of abortion.

Yet another respondent described the proposal as a "cynical vote-pulling exercise", which was also dangerous, and another still said this was "one step too far".

"It's about time the Maltese government stops acting holier than the Pope. Irrespective of one's views on abortion, such a measure is the political equivalent of the Taliban - extreme."

Another said that by the same token, the country could entrench the entire Criminal Code in the Constitution.

The majority of those who expressed themselves against the proposal insists their vote did not mean they were in favour of abortion.

"I am not in favour of abortion but do not feel it should be entrenched in the Constitution. Is the government trying to be holier than the Pope? I want to live in a secular society, with clear Church/state separation, not in a fundamentalist Catholic theocracy," a respondent said.

"I am against abortion and very pro-life but not a fundamentalist who wants to force his views on future generations. I prefer this to remain at a personal and spiritual level."

Only a few of the respondents said that abortion should be decriminalised in Malta, mostly on the basis that if a woman wanted to have an abortion, she could have it abroad.

Other respondents argued that abortion should not be ruled out in a number of special cases.

"Although I believe that abortion is not a solution, in some cases, such as rape, the mother is also a victim and must have her rights."

Another respondent said: "While I am against aborting healthy foetuses, I am personally in favour of allowing pregnant women with severely handicapped foetuses the option of an abortion. The state has no right to interfere in the personal decisions of families and women in such situations".

"Abortion is not to be taken lightly, and most women do not take it lightly, but we have the right to choose. Abortion is not a form of contraception: women do not run out to have one for fun," one respondent said.

A number of respondents highlighted their stand against abortion, stressing that it was murder.

"Pro choice is pro murder," one said, and another remarked that abortion was just the "polite" word for murder.

"No matter what fancy name they give it, or what justifications they make, abortion is murder."

Another respondent said no human being had the right to kill another while another said life was too precious to waste.