Prime Minister Robert Abela is abusing his position and will be legalising abortion via a misleading amendment, the Nationalist Party said Monday.

In a statement ahead of the start of the debate in Parliament this afternoon, the PN said that what Abela is doing is typical of a PM who has no respect to the value of life from conception to the last breath.

The PN said that the Labour Party does not have the electoral mandate to introduce abortion in Malta. Abela used to say he was against abortion but now is doing the opposite, the PN said.

A bill that will make abortion legal when a pregnant woman’s life is at serious risk was presented in parliament last week. 

The amendments are intended to free doctors and pregnant women from the threat of criminal prosecution if a pregnancy is terminated for reasons related to the woman’s health.

In its statement, the PN said that the amendment is misleading and will lead to the legalisation of abortion, instead of giving protection to pregnant women, the babies and professionals when the expectant mother’s life is at risk.

All PN MPs have declared that they are against the amendment as proposed by the government and will be voting against it. This is the moment of truth, the party said, as the people are being asked to stop Abela from legalising abortion.

In reply, the Labour Party said the PN knows full well that abortion will remain illegal.

What Parliament will be discussing is an amendment to the Criminal Code to safeguard expectant mothers if  her life is in danger.

The aim is to clarify the position of the docytor and the woman in circumstances when there is a medical complication that puts the woman's life in danger.

There is only one amendment to the law, the rest will not be changed, the PL said.