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Ultimo July 2010 the Danish freelance journalist, correspondent and pr-consultant, Keld Broksř visited the party office and John Zammit in Valletta for some media talks.

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Watch the new promotional video-clip here.

 

Divorce: A Human Right by Jean-Pierre Sammut

PM Lawrence Gonzi is convinced that divorce is unnecessary. This is very true, yes -  on Planet Pluto. In Malta, meanwhile, we are heading towards complete chaos. We are having hundreds and hundreds of roomies, co-habitants and formerly married persons who sit down with new partners. In Monsignor Anton Gouder’s ecstasy, broken marriages account for less than 7% of marriages. In reality (which we witness everyday with our own eyes) broken marriages are on the 32nd percentile of all marriages whether secular or religious. Year after year the rate is increasing, which means that within a couple of years we will be having more roomies than spouses.  

It was precisely in the mid-1980s that four political martyrs - Emmy Bezzina, Wenzu Mintoff, Toni Abela and John Zammit – stood up and spoke out about the issue. They uttered the word “divorce” in a time, when only Satan could say it.  In 2006 John Zammit has set up a new political entity named ALLEANZA LIBERAL-DEMOKRATIKA MALTA, by which he will have a break with mild words and petty seminars and, instead, move forward for a face-to-face challenge against the regime. People are suffering and therefore someone has to really stand up and fight back. Dr. John Zammit is the man, and he is fully prepared.

Divorce is the remedy for our social chaos. Divorce turns an old broken marriage into two new marriages. Divorce is a human right – and John Zammit is putting his foot down about it.

 

Id-Divorzju – Jedd ta’ kull bniedem

Fil-fehma taI-Prim Ministru Lawrence Gonzi d-divorzju mhuwiex mehtieg. Tabilhaqq hekk hu, iva, fuq il-Pjaneta Pluto. Sadanittant f’Malta ninsabu resqin lejn tghassida shiha. Ghandna mijiet u mijiet ta’ pogguti u nies li ufficjalment ikunu mizzewgin ma’ persuna imma fil-prattika ikunu qeghdin f’relazzjoni ma’ haddiehor. Fil-fantazija tal-Monsinjur Anton Gouder sebgha fil-mija biss taz-zwigijiet huma imkissrin. Izda fir-realta` (dik li ahna lkoll naraw b’ghajnejna ta’ kuljum) iz-zwigijiet l-imkissrin waslu sa’ 32 fil-mija taz-zwigijiet kollha - kemm dawk li jsiru fil-knisja (kattolika) kif ukoll dawk li jsiru bic-Civil. Sena wara sena, ir-rata qeghda tizdied u dan ifisser li fi ftit taz-zmien iehor ser ikun hawn aktar pogguti milli mizzewgin.

Kien sewwasew f’nofs is-snin tmenin illi erba’ martri politici – Emmy Bezzina, Wenzu Mintoff, Toni Abela u John Zammit – qamu bil-wieqfa u tkellmu dwar din it-tema. Lissnu l-kelma “divorzju” meta x-Xitan biss seta` jghidha. Fl-2006 John Zammit halaq entita` politika gdida u semmiha ALLEANZA LIBERL-DEMOKRATIKA MALTA. Minn dak in-nhar ‘l hawn, minflok mhu jintilef f’hafna paroli fl-arja u seminars trankwilli, huwa qieghed jaffaccja wicc’imb wicc lir-Regim GonziPN. Bosta nies qeghdin ibaghtu u jkun xieraq li xi hadd jiggieled ghalihom. Dr. John Zammit huwa l-kavallier, u huwa mhejji sa’ snienu.

Id-Divorzju huwa d-duwa ghall-balbuljata socjali li ghandna. Id-Divorzju jibdel zwieg wiehed imkisser f’zewg zwigijiet sbieh. Id-Divorzju huwa jedd ta’ kull bniedem – u John Zammit mhuwiex se jcedi la ghar-regim ta’ Gonzi u lanqas ghal dak ta’ Gouder. 

    

 

Editorial, Times of Malta, 14-08-2008 :

Common ground on divorce

Archbishop Paul Cremona and Bishops Mario Grech and Anton Depasquale released a short statement in which they made a number of reflections evaluating "the discussion taking place in the country regarding marriage and the family". The statement is too short to do justice to the number of points raised in it. It could be better understood if read together with the long letter Archbishop Cremona had sent to Malta Today published on June 1. The letter can serve as a sort of commentary on the issues raised and summarily treated in the statement.

It is positive to note that the tone of both the statement and the letter is neither polemical nor condemnatory. The bishops make their position clearly and assertively without giving even a hint of launching some latter day crusade on the issue. But they clearly express their wish that there should really be an open discussion on the subject that would not exclude the Christian community. This yearning of the bishops is shown in two out of the four points made in the statement. In contrast to those who say that the Church and the Christian community should stay out of the debate, the bishops quite rightly assert that "the Christian community may and should give its contribution in this discussion". It seems the bishops feel that due to this leave-the-Church-out-of-it attitude, some may be holding back from expressing their opinions. They voice the wish for a different attitude: "We hope that many will be those whose choice to give a contribution openly in favour of marriage and the family will overcome the choice to remain silent because of the fear of criticism."

In the letter, Archbishop Cremona had strongly advised having an open discussion which would be carried on in full respect of all opinions and without assuming that the only result should be a yes to divorce. The discussion about the legalisation or otherwise of divorce should be characterised by an open and free attitude. All sides must avoid religious or secular fundamentalism, while mutual respect should always be paramount. The bishops say that "the experience of other countries" bears witness to the negative effects of divorce. It is not enough, however, to make this statement without amplifying it and demonstrating it. Quite naturally others may point to different experiences and studies as well as give different interpretations to statistics and research on the subject and arrive at a different conclusion.

This is another reason why dialogue is the way forward to gain a better appreciation of the myriad consequences of divorce legislation, whether positive or negative. The first point of the Bishops' statement is by no means controversial. "The Church... believes that marriage and the family are of fundamental benefit for the individual and society." There is widespread support in Malta for such view. The Times had made the same reflection: "There is no doubt that healthy marriages and strong families are a must for society."

We propose that the debate about divorce be enlarged to a debate about how all families and marriages, especially problematic ones, should and could be helped. We made this appeal in a previous editorial. We are certain that both the pro- and anti-divorce factions will agree with efforts aimed at strengthening family ties, even if they disagree on the wisdom of introducing divorce.

Dr. John Zammit (response) :
Malta is a secular state and the bishops and the curia have no right to interfere in civil procedures. Is it that Malta can do what it likes because it is Catholic, but Turkey cannot because it is Muslim?!? European Parliament - please make a note of that.

Can't you please stop interfering in the private lives of the Maltese citizens!?! I don't believe in the Catholic faith, I left so long ago when the priests used to tell me: "How are you! Are you winning against the church"? This was a priest who has a street named after him at Birzebbuga. He was a missionery in Brasilia, where he used to eat very well and give some rice to the poor. By the way - the bishops are all eating well and enjoying themselves in their palace!!!