President George Vella of Malta has told people close to him he is prepared to resign if parliament approves a sweeping liberalisation of abortion law proposed by the government.

The bill is currently going through a second reading in parliament but the wording could still be amended at the committee stage in the coming days.

Any bill needs to be signed by the president before it becomes law. If Vella resigns, he would be the first president in history to do so.

Parliament will likely take a vote on the bill by December 19, before the Christmas recess.

Vella, who is a doctor by profession, has been steadfast in his stance against abortion and, as president, he publicly insisted he would resign if parliament passed an abortion bill.

When, in May last year, former independent MP Marlene Farrugia tabled a private member’s bill to decriminalise abortion, Vella told Net News he opposed abortion without exceptions because there were “no half measures to murder”.

“You have either killed or not killed, there can be no half-death. I’m very clear, there are no ifs and buts,” he said at the time.