President George Vella on Friday stopped short of saying he will resign over proposed legal amendments that will allow the termination of pregnancies when a woman’s health is in danger.

Vella, who will have to sign off on the eventual law, said he will take the “necessary decisions” once the final version of the proposed text has been thrashed out.

One source close to the president’s office said Vella had proposed his own amendments to the government text.

Vella, speaking on the sidelines of an event at San Anton, refused to go into detail about his proposed amendments when questioned by Times of Malta.

Asked if he will resign if he is not happy with the law, Vella said “everyone knows my position”.

Times of Malta reported this week how Vella has told people close to him that he is prepared to resign if parliament approves the amendment to the abortion law as proposed by the government.

Sources said he is mainly concerned the proposed change would allow for the termination of a pregnancy when a woman’s health, rather than her life, is deemed to be at risk.

The bill is currently going through a second reading in parliament but the wording could still be amended at committee stage in the coming days.

Parliament will likely take a vote on the bill by December 19, before the Christmas recess.

Vella, who is a doctor by profession, has been steadfast in his stance against abortion and, as president, he publicly insisted he would resign if parliament passed an abortion bill.

When, in May last year, former independent MP Marlene Farrugia tabled a private member’s bill to decriminalise abortion, Vella told Net News he opposed abortion without exceptions because there were “no half measures to murder”.

“You have either killed or not killed, there can be no half-death. I’m very clear, there are no ifs and buts,” he said at the time.