President Vetoes Law Over Abortion

BRATISLAVA, JULY 23, 2003 (Zenit.org).- Slovakian President Rudolf Schuster has vetoed a proposed law to legalize abortion in the case of genetic malformations.

The Slovakian State agency TASR published statements on Wednesday of presidential spokesman Jan Fule, in which he revealed that the President returned to Parliament the draft law that sought to legalize abortion, in case of genetic malformations, in the first 24 weeks after conception.

The law was approved by Bratislava's Parliament on July 3 with 70 votes in favor, 32 against, and 11 abstentions. The President's signature was necessary for the law to take effect.

Parliament will debate this law again in September. If it is to be approved, it must receive the votes of a majority of over 50% of the parliamentarians.

In fact, in September the Constitutional Court must pronounce itself on the 1986 abortion law, written in Communist times.

Representatives of the Catholic Church have been extremely firm in opposing the draft law on abortion.

ZENIT Daily dispatch - The World Seen from Rome
23. juli 2003