By Gudrun Schultz
LISBON, Portugal, November 20, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Constitutional Court of Portugal accepted the government’s referendum question on abortion earlier this week, moving the proposed referendum on increasing abortions a step closer, AFP reported.
The referendum would ask voters if they agree with a law that would permit abortions on demand up until the 10th week of pregnancy. Voters would be asked, “Do you agree with the decriminalization of voluntary termination of pregnancy if it takes place, at the woman’s request, within the first ten weeks of pregnancy in a legally authorized medical facility?”
Under current Portuguese law, abortions are only legal in cases of rape, fetal abnormality or to save the life of the mother, and then only up until the 12th week of pregnancy. After 12 weeks gestation abortions are not permitted for any reason.Â
The final approval for the referendum is now up to Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva, who has 20 days to decide whether or not to put the issue before voters. If he approves the referendum, it must be held between 40 to 180 days later.
The Portuguese Parliament approved a national referendum on abortion last month, after months of intensive effort by the ruling Socialist government. Last month Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates launched a pro-abortion campaign to encourage voters to support the “yes” vote.
A previous referendum, held in 1998, upheld the current abortion legislation by a narrow margin, but the vote was declared invalid because of the poor turnout. Only 30 percent of the population participated in that referendum—at least 50 percent of registered voters must cast their ballot for the referendum to be considered valid.
See previous LifeSiteNews coverage:
Socialist Portugal Government to Introduce Abortion Vote January 2007 https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/sep/06091803.html
Abortion Referendum in Portugal Delayed Until September 2006 https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/nov/05110103.html
Portuguese Parliament Approves National Abortion Referendum https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/oct/06102006.html
Portugese Gov’t Launches Pro-Abortion Campaign https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/oct/06101803.html