Portugal's president Tuesday ratified a new law permitting
abortion up until the 10th week of pregnancy, bringing the Roman
Catholic country in line with most of its European neighbors, his
office said in a statement.
But President Anibal Cavaco Silva recommended that Parliament,
which passed the law last month following a national referendum,
take further measures to ensure abortions are a last resort.
Parliament voted overwhelmingly to legalize abortion after a
referendum in February. Turnout for the ballot was not enough to
make it binding but the outcome indicated a majority of voters
favored the change which has long been sought by the governing
center-left Socialist Party.
Under the constitution, laws passed by Parliament must be
rubber-stamped by the head of state.
The abortion law, which was fiercely opposed by the Catholic
church, will come into force when it is published in official
government records, probably next month.
The old law was among the most restrictive in Europe, allowing
the procedure in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy only if a mother's
health was at risk. In cases of rape, it was permitted through the
16th week. Only if abortion was the only way to save a pregnant
woman's life was there a time restriction.
The government hopes the new law will put an end to dangerous
backstreet abortions. Women's rights groups say about 10,000 women
in Portugal are hospitalized every year with complications arising
from botched, illegal abortions.
The new law will set no restrictions on women seeking to end
their pregnancies up to the 10th week, though it does require a
mandatory three-day reflection period before an abortion is
performed.
The president's statement, posted on the head of state's
official website, included a message to Parliament in which he
urged lawmakers to adopt further safeguards that would ensure there
is no sharp rise in abortions.
Cavaco Silva said pregnant women must be informed about the
possibility of their child being adopted and be counseled about the
possible health consequences of an abortion.
He also recommended that the child's father be allowed to attend
the mother's counseling sessions, even though the final decision
would remain with the mother.
He said authorities must ensure comprehensive and regular
inspections of private clinics licensed to perform abortions and
recommended a prohibition on advertising that could be seen as
encouraging abortion.
Furthermore, the government should improve sex education and
family planning policies as well as carry out evaluations of how
well the law is being enacted.
Neither the government nor church officials had immediate
reactions to the president's ratification.
(China Daily via agencies April 11, 2007)
