VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta could be headed for a new referendum, this time on the highly sensitive issue of voluntary assisted euthanasia, should the Labour Party win a new government mandate. The announcement came with the publication of the party’s election manifesto, which outlines its vision and policy priorities ahead of the upcoming general elections. In the document, the party noted that it has already launched a broad national consultation on voluntary assisted euthanasia and has introduced the concept of living wills into Maltese law. “The debate on this sensitive issue must continue,” the manifesto reads, adding that Maltese citizens “should be given the opportunity to express their opinion through a referendum.”
Voluntary-assisted euthanasia (VAE) involves the deliberate termination of a patient’s life upon their explicit request, generally when the patient is mentally competent, suffering from a terminal illness, and experiencing unbearable pain or suffering. A key feature is the direct involvement of a qualified healthcare professional, who administers the medication that ends the patient’s life, subject to informed consent. Referendums remain relatively rare in the archipelago, having been held only seven times since independence. The last one was held in 2015, when voters voted against the abolition of the spring hunting season for turtle doves and quail.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
