Delia urges the president to refuse to sign abortion law, but not to 'flee'

Former Opposition leader Adrian Delia has urged President George Vella to refuse to sign into law the bill which would allow the termination of pregnancies when the mother's health is at risk.

The bill, he argued, does not respect the principles of the constitution on the right to life, and the president is the custodian of the constitution. 

Times of Malta reported on Wednesday that the president had told close associates that he was considering resignation over the current bill, which is seen by various quarters as opening the door to abortion.

Vella had previously declared on several occasions that he would never sign a law allowing abortion.

The president's signature is the final stage of the legislative process and no law can come into force without it. The president's refusal to sign a bill approved by the democratically elected parliament has never happened in Malta and it would create a constitutional crisis.

The constitution actually does not give the president much of a choice, since it lays down that: "when a bill is presented to the president for assent, he shall without delay signify that he assents".

However, the constitution also says that a bill shall not become...