Pro-life groups are demanding that the leaders of Malta's major political parties sign a written guarantee that they will tell their party whips to instruct MPs to vote against the legalisation of abortion.
Leaders of the conservative Alleanza Bidla party, Ivan Grech Mintoff and Dr Rebecca Dalli Gonzi, have announced a public rally to safeguard human life today, 14 April, organised by a Facebook platform which has over 20,000 members.
"We appeal to all who sincerely - above all else - wish to protect human life before birth, regardless of political affiliation or allegiances, to take heed of their party's response to taking this pledge and to take it into consideration in the forthcoming elections," the party said in a statement yesterday.
The Facebook group 'Abortion in Malta? Not in my name!' was formed three weeks ago by Grech Mintoff and wants party leaders to promise, before the MEP elections, that they will instruct their whip to ensure that no MPs voted in favour of an abortion Bill, should it ever be brought before Parliament. The Facebook group is completely non-partisan, and it welcomed members and leaders of any political party to join it and to attend the rally.
"The absolute majority of the Maltese people are against the legalisation of abortion in Malta. There is, however, a growing uncertainty in the public domain if the will of this majority will carry on being respected," said Grech Mintoff.
"We created this group in order to ensure that all the political parties representing us are forced to listen to the unborn: the very weakest among us, the most in need of a clear voice. We demand guarantees that abortion will not be introduced in Malta and that we will not accept any EU directive or regulation that forces us to do so," Dalli Gonzi added.
The rally will be held on 14th April at 3pm in Floriana Gardens, opposite the Phoenicia Hotel. Should the weather prevent this, then it will be held at the Catholic Institute in Floriana.
Alleanza Bidla is a member of the European Christian Political Movement.