Portugal's voters on Sunday decided to ease the country's strict
laws on abortion in a referendum, but the turnout was too low to
make it legally binding.
Only 43.6 percent of the Catholic nation's 8.7 million eligible
voters turned out in the referendum, lower than the 50 percent base
line required to lift the abortion ban, though 59.3 percent voted
in favor.
The governing Socialists, represented by Prime Minister Jose
Socrates, offered full support for the reform.
Despite the low turnout, the outcome could be regarded as a step
forward to lifting the abortion ban, said Socrates.
He added that the parliament would discuss and approve the law
out of respect for the result of the referendum as well as the will
of the Portuguese people.
If the ban is finally lifted, abortions will be allowed in the
first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
In 1998, Portugal tried to reform the anti-abortion law and
staged a referendum, in which a slight majority voted to keep the
ban and the turnout stood at some 30 percent, still farther from
meeting the 50 percent threshold required.
(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2007)
