By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman
LA PAZ, January 26, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Bolivians went to the polls yesterday and approved a constitution that critics say contains pro-abortion and homosexualist language, threatens the autonomy of families, and gives excessive powers to the central government.
Although the final results will not be verified for a week, exit polls indicate that the constitution passed by a popular vote of 60% to 40%. However, current vote tallies indicate that the document was rejected in provinces traditionally opposed to socialist president Evo Morales.
Although the new document will certainly be approved, Morales may not be able to enforce it without cooperation from the legislature, which must formulate laws to implement the new constitution’s provisions. The upper chamber of the Bolivian Congress is controlled by opposition forces.
Morales has warned that if laws are not passed implementing the Constitution’s provisions, he may do so by executive decree. Some observers fear that such a move could spark a constitutional crisis and lead to a renewal of violence that has occurred during the past year between opposition forces and the Morales regime.
The new Constitution contains articles guaranteeing the exercise of “sexual and reproductive rights,” a term used by the international abortion lobby to refer to the killing of the unborn, as well as the “right” to have access to artificial birth control.
It also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and “gender identity”, thus recognizing the “right” to change one’s legal sex at will. The official recognition of the Catholic religion is eliminated in favor of a purely secular form of government.
Critics have also drawn attention to provisions that they say will undermine the rights of parents over their children, and give arbitrary powers to the central government to convict people of “treason” for acting against the “unity” of the society.
Previous LifeSiteNews coverage:
Bolivia Prepares to Vote on Abortionist, Homosexualist and Secularist Constitution
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jan/09012101.html