Be Man Enough To Say You Want To Legalise Abortion, Small Party Leader Challenges Abela And Grech
The topic of abortion was among the most heated discussions at today’s election debate, with a small party leader claiming that both the PL and the PN secretly want to legalise it but don’t have the guts to say so outright.
Ivan Grech Mintoff, leader of the new political party ABBA, used a chunk of his speaking time to accuse Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition Leader Bernard Grech of hypocrisy over the abortion issue.
“You can’t be populist and say you disagree with abortion but then pledge to give out the morning-after pill,” he said. “It’s either one or the other.”
He questioned why European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and PL MEP Cyrus Engerer haven’t been kicked out of their respective parties despite having voted in favour of declaring abortion a human right at the European Parliament.
“If you want abortion, be man enough to say it. However, you can’t say you are against abortion when you have people in your parties who vote in favour of abortion.”
When questioned about abortion, both Abela and Grech said they are against it but strayed clear of the anti-abortion gusto that both political parties have adopted for so long.
Abela said that discussion on abortion has already started within Maltese society and that while the PL isn’t going to propose its legalisation in its manifesto, he wants to understand the pain of women who carry out abortions.
“I want to understand them, not tell them I will kick them out of my political party,” he said, taking a dig at Grech for his warning against pro-choice politicians last November which he didn’t follow up on.
Grech took a softer stance too, stating he wants to “understand” women who carry out abortions and stressing the importance of empathy but making it clear that the PN is “in favour of life from birth to death”.
ADPD leader Carmel Cacopardo was the only political leader to openly call for the decriminalisation of abortion.
“No woman who carries out an abortion, no matter the reason, should be treated as a criminal,” he said. “They need help and empathy, not state persecution.”
Do you think Malta should legalise abortion?
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