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Liechtenstein abortion initiative moves closer to a vote
Liechtenstein abortion initiative moves closer to a vote
A citizens' initiative to legalise abortion in Liechtenstein has gathered nearly five times more than the minimum number of signatures required to get its proposal sent for parliamentary review or a referendum.
Abortion is currently illegal there except for specific circumstances, such as when the mother's life is at risk or the pregnancy resulted from rape. Roman Catholicism is the state religion in the Alpine microstate.
"We have concluded our petition drive with an exceptional result: we have gathered just under 5,000 signatures," the committee behind the initiative said in an Instagram post.
The committee submitted the 4,970 signatures last Friday.
On its website it pointed out that the result was nearly five times the legally required 1,000 minimum for such an initiative.
The tiny, German-speaking principality on the River Rhine, wedged between Switzerland and Austria, has a population of just 41,000, of whom around 35 percent are permanent foreign residents.
Anyone carrying out an abortion outside the designated exceptions faces up to three years in prison. A woman undergoing the procedure could be jailed for up to a year.
The initiative was spearheaded by 28-year-old Tatjana As'Ad, from the small left-wing Free List party. It calls for the legalisation of abortion during the first three months of pregnancy.
Once the authorities have verified the signatures, the initiative will be reviewed by the 25-seat Landtag parliament in September.
If the Landtag rejects it, the measure will be put to a public vote a referendum that could take place in the autumn, said the committee.
In the last vote on legalising abortion in 2011, 52 percent of voters rejected it. Liechtenstein's government and parliament both opposed to the measure.
In any case, the country's regent, Hereditary Prince Alois, made clear he would have vetoed the move on that occasion.
The eldest son of Prince Hans Adam II has again indicated his opposition to the new initiative.
apo/rjm/jj
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
