Portugal will legalise abortion

February 11, 2007

Sunday, 11 February 2007, 21:51 GMT

Portugal has some of the strictest abortion laws in the EUPrime Minister Jose Socrates has said abortion will be legalised in Portugal despite the turnout for a referendum being too low to be legally binding.

Turnout was about 40%, far less that the 50% required, but of those who did vote, 57-61% backed a proposed change to the current law, exit polls suggest. The proposal allows all women abortion until the 10th week of pregnancy. Currently abortions are only allowed in cases of rape, a health threat to the mother or serious foetal abnormality.

The people spoke with a clear voice

Prime Minister Jose Socrates

" The law will now be discussed and approved in parliament, " Mr Socrates said. " Our interest is to fight clandestine abortion and we have to produce a law that respects the result of the referendum. " " The people spoke with a clear voice, " he added. Portugal has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the European Union. Only Ireland, Malta and Poland have such similarly strict legislation. The mainly Catholic country currently allows abortions up the 12th week to save a woman's life or to preserve her mental or physical health. In cases of rape, abortions are allowed within 16 weeks. The limit is 24 weeks if there is a risk that the child will be born with an incurable disease or deformity. 'National shame' As a result many Portuguese women go to Spain for terminations or resort to illegal abortions. Some women have abortions done in unsanitary conditions and risk ending up with infections or other serious complications from which they may die. Mr Socrates had called for voters to back the changes to put an end to the " national shame " of back-street abortions. " The choice placed before Portugal is whether it resigns itself to staying in the group of the most conservative countries or if it embraces modernity and joins the most developed nations, " he said on Thursday. In a referendum held in 1998, voters upheld the existing abortion law by 51% to 49%, but the result was declared void as nearly seven out of 10 voters stayed away. The Socialists made holding another referendum part of their election platform in 2005. Jail threat Voters were being asked to decide whether to make abortion legal in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, if carried out at the woman's request in a registered clinic. But since the wording says nothing about the woman having to justify her decision, those against the reform say it is abortion on demand. The idea of sending someone to prison for having an illegal abortion is universally unpopular - the offence carries a jail sentence of up to three years. But many people in the staunchly Catholic country want the crime on the statute books to stop abortion becoming routine. The Catholic Church has gone further, saying that Catholics, who account for 90% of Portugal's population, must oppose abortion. " Whatever the motives that justify this dramatic act in the eyes of a woman, it is always the denial of a place in the world for a human life that was conceived, " Cardinal Jose da Cruz Policarpo, the Patriarch of Lisbon, has said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6350651.stm

Dear List Members,

This is the chart for the Portuguese referendum on abortion:

Referendum on AbortionFeb 11, 2007 8:00 PM +00:00 GMTLisbon Longitude: 9W08 Latitude: 38N43Lahiri Ayanamsha: 23:57 Current Period: SA/RA/MA

Planet Deg Sign Speed SA Nakshatra Lord================================================Asc 21:47 Leo P.Phalguni VeSun 28:45 Cap +01:00:42 WK Dhanishtha Ma

Moon 14:48 Sco +12:30:53 FM Anuradha SaMars 25:19 Sag +00:45:00 WK P.Shadya VeMerc 15:47 Aqu +00:24:42 WK Shatbisha RaJupt 21:43 Sco +00:08:39 WK Jyeshtha MeVen 24:17 Aqu +01:14:18 WK P.Bhadra JuSat R 27:36 Can -00:04:52 WK Aslesha MeRahu 22:26 Aqu -00:01:30 FM P.Bhadra JuKetu 22:26 Leo -00:01:30 FM P.Phalguni Ve

True Node 365.25 Day Year - Internet Time: 875 beatsDay: Sunday Sunrise: 7:34 AMTithi: Krishna NavamiYoga Pt: 16:53 Sg Yogi:Ve AviYogi:Ju Dup Yogi: JuDagha Rashis: Leo Sco

Rashi Chart******************************************************* ** 6 * * 4 ** *7 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SAR27:36* * * * * AS 21:47 * * * * * 5 KE 22:26 * 3 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** MO 14:48 * * ** *8 JU 21:43 * 2 * ** * * ** *9 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ME 15:47 * * * *MA 25:19 * 11 RA 22:26 * 1 * * * * VE 24:17 * * * * * * * * * * * SU 28:45 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** 10 * * 12 ** *******************************************************

Navamsha******************************************************* ** 8 * * 6 ** *9 * * * * * * * * * * * * * MO * * * * * MA * SU * * * * * AS * * * * * 7 KE * 5 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * ** *10 JU * 4 * ** * * ** *11* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *ME * 1 RA * 3 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SAR * * VE * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** 12 * * 2 ** *******************************************************

The significators of women, Moon and Venus, are weak and/or afflicted. All odd houses are afflicted by the nodes, including H5. It is clear that it was not an auspicious decision.

As we have seen in my previous message on this subject, the rectified chart of the country was under very difficult transits.

Best wishes,

Jorge