Malta votes to legalize divorce

[News_Editor]

Malta votes to legalize divorce

2011-05-31 06:30:47 GMT+7 (ICT)

VALLETTA (BNO NEWS) -- Citizens of the tiny European country of Malta on Sunday voted in a referendum to legalize divorce, according to results released by the government on Monday.

The island nation is the last country in the European Union which still bans divorce, and the issue was hotly debated before Sunday's referendum vote. While the referendum is non-binding, the government has promised to work on legislation to make the change.

"It is Parliament's duty to execute the people's wishes and prepare a divorce law... the wishes of the majority should naturally be fulfilled while respecting the conscience of MPs who feel it is not possible for them to approve the law and so have to abstain or vote against," Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said in a televised address on Sunday evening, according to the Times of Malta.

Gonzi added on Monday that the divorce bill will be moved for first reading in parliament later this week. "The will of the electorate must be reflected in Parliament," the prime minister said.

According to results released by the government, 52.67 percent of voters voted to legalize divorce, while 46.4 percent opposed the change. The difference was only about 14,576 votes in a country with a population of nearly 413,000.

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