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3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 7 DECEMBER 2022 NEWS Pro-lifers will go for abrogative referendum, Azzopardi suggests Anti-choice activists reiterate request to meet PM NICOLE MEILAK ANTI-CHOICE activists reiterated their request to meet with the Prime Minister on a new amendment to Malta's ban on abor- tion. Life Network Foundation, Doctors for Life and the NGO I See Life said they wrote to the Prime Minister on 1 December asking to meet him over the legal amendments. Government is seeking to introduce a clause to the section of the Criminal Code that currently bans abortion. The amend- ment would indemnify doctors, and moth- ers, who carry out a medical intervention that results in pregnancy to protect the woman's health and life. On Monday, Prime Minister Robert Abe- la said that he is willing to discuss possible changes to the amendment with the rele- vant stakeholders. "These three organisations would like to bring the Prime Minister's attention to the fact that on 1 December 2022 they sent a request for a meeting with him [...] to dis- cuss the concerns of many as expressed last Sunday in a public demonstration attended by over 20,000 people," the groups said in a statement. The anti-abortion groups added that they have not received any requests for a meet- ing. KURT SANSONE PEPPI Azzopardi who is one of the faces fronting the anti-abor- tion movement believes an ab- rogative referendum should be held if government's amendment passes. Azzopardi said on TVM's Xtra on Monday night that if the amendment goes through, the next step in his view is to hold a referendum to have the clause deleted. Some voices opposed to gov- ernment's amendment, including former MP Jason Azzopardi, have floated the suggestion of holding an abrogative referendum but this is the first time that a sen- ior figure within the anti-choice movement has put forward such views. The popular television present- er, a long-standing campaigner for minority rights, insisted he had to defend unborn babies be- cause they are a voiceless minor- ity. Government has proposed an amendment to the Crimi- nal Code, which decriminal- ises abortion if this is needed to safeguard a woman's life or health. Abortion will remain illegal but the proposed excep- tions would provide legal clari- ty for doctors and women, who currently face the prospect of ending up in jail. Peppi Azzopardi argued against the health aspect of the amend- ment, insisting mothers could still be treated without the need to "kill the baby". Lawyer and pro-choice advo- cate Lara Dimitrijevic insisted the amendment speaks of 'grave risk' to a woman's health, insist- ing that claims it could be used to procure an abortion for frivolous reasons were misplaced. As the law stands today, wom- en are allowed to reach the pre- carious point where their life is actually on the line before doc- tors can intervene to terminate a pregnancy, she added. "This is wrong." Labour MP Randolph Debat- tista and Nationalist MP Adrian Delia also crossed swords on the issue. Debattista argued the amend- ment is intended to safeguard women's health when this is at grave risk because of complica- tions that arise during pregnancy. "There is a growing body of voic- es in society calling for the intro- duction of abortion, who criticise government for not going far enough, which in itself is testi- mony that the amendment is not introducing abortion," he said. Delia said the protection of a mother's life has always been a principle that doctors upheld but including health as an exception opens up a can of worms. He in- sisted the government propos- al was "abortion by any other name". The PN MP said life should be protected from conception. Anti-abortion activists held a protest in Valletta on Sunday and will be holding a vigil outside parliament on Wednesday at 5:30pm. Prime Minister Robert Abela has said that government is will- ing to tweak the amendment but has insisted the two principles – safeguarding women's health and life – will not be watered down. Peppi Azzopardi CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The cases marked that country's de- cision to eventually legalise abortion. Bonnici asked: "Who has to contend with the grave medical circumstanc- es? The woman or us? What happens if she is already a mother and has to live with permanent physical disabil- ities?" The minister said the proposed amendment was limited to saving a woman's life or safeguard her health if the circumstances were grave. He said these two principles must remain intact but reiterated what the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister said that government will consider tweaks to reduce the opportunity for abuse. "I think that the proposed law is the right course of action, but it is crit- ical that it is not abused," Bonnici said, condemning Opposition leader Bernard Grech for his parliamentary speech in which he ridiculed Ameri- can tourist Andrea Prudente. Miriam Dalli: 'Is my health as a woman worth nothing to you?' In a hard-hitting speech, Miriam Dalli turned to the Opposition asking her counterparts whether her health, as a woman, was worth nothing to them. The Energy Minister said the cur- rent debate was characterised by mis- information that tried to characterise the amendment as the introduction of abortion. `"This discussion focuses on wom- en whose pregnancies were and are wanted. Women who desired children and still want children, but whose medical issues are so severe that they pose a threat to their lives or seriously endanger their health," Dalli said. "It's easier to spread fake news than the truth." In an angry tone, the minister con- tinued: "If you, your sister, your daughter, your friend or your cousin is in a serious health situation while carrying a non-viable pregnancy, what are we supposed to tell her? To wait because the honourable Nationalists told us that they don't want to pass the law before Christmas?" Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici: Not about religion or politics From the Opposition benches, Car- melo Mifsud Bonnici insisted the amendment was not a question of pol- itics nor religion. He said that between what is written in the amendment and what is being said by government MPs is different and called for more clarity on such a sensitive issue. He referred to the legal notes drawn up by former president Sir Anthony Mamo – known as the Mamo Notes they are used as a reference point in legal studies – noting that a similar attempt had been tried to legislate for grave circumstances but it drew a blank. "The fact that the original concept would be lost if specified too much, discouraged the person who attempt- ed to amend the law on abortion," ex- plained the MP. Mifsud Bonnici mentioned the alter- native proposal put forward by 81 ac- ademics and noted that while it wasn't perfect, it was still an improvement over the government's amendment. When it came to making a distinc- tion between physical and mental health, Mifsud Bonnici disagreed with his colleagues. "Health is just health, abortion should be the last resort only after all other options have been exhausted," he insisted. The PN is insisting that the inclusion of health as a parameter to justify the termination of a pregnancy was akin to introducing abortion on demand. The Opposition wants the amend- ment to cover only those instances when a woman's life is in danger. House continues to debate amendment allowing an abortion to take place if a woman's life or health is in danger