President George Vella on Thursday refused to say if he will be signing off on amendments to the IVF law, which opens the door for embryo testing.

Vella is known to have privately expressed reservations about the amendments, leading to speculation about whether he will sign them into law. 

Questioned about the matter on Thursday, Vella said cryptically that: "the law will be signed."

Asked if he will personally be signing it, Vella refused to give a straight answer. 

"I have told you three times. The law will be signed", Vella said. 

George Vella does not have to personally sign the law if he is not in the country.

University pro-rector Frank Bezzina was appointed by the government as acting president last month, in what was seen as a move to ensure the president's office would sign off on the law if Vella was reluctant to do so. 

Amendments to the law were approved by parliament on Wednesday, gaining support from both parties with 66 votes in favour and three against. 

Three PN MPs broke party ranks, voting against the new law.

The Nationalist Party had initially opposed pre-implantation genetic testing and later argued that prospective parents should have a choice and be offered the alternative of polar body testing which does not involve testing of embryos and is suitable for eight of nine genetic conditions which the bill says can be tested for. 

The only exception is Huntington's Disease, which can only be detected by testing of the embryos.