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ARGENTINA | 27-06-2018 10:50

Confirmed: Senate to vote on abortion bill on August 8

President Mauricio Macri has said he will sign the bill to decriminalise elective abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy if it passed the Senate.

Argentina’s Senate will vote on a bill to decriminalise elective abortion on August 8, after the bill’s successful passage through the Lower House on June 14.

To date, 27 Senators have expressed their support of the bill while 29 are against it, the Parlamentario news portal reported.

Despite her historic opposition to abortion, former president-cum-Senator Cristina Fernández de Kirchner will vote in favour of the bill, her voting bloc confirmed in June.

If passed, the bill will effectively legalise elective abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy.

As was the case in the Lower House, undecided lawmakers in the Senate will determine the outcome of the vote, with 16 still on the fence, Parlamentario noted.

MICHETTI

Some lawmakers had questioned the speed at which the bill would pass through the Senate.

Last week opposition Senators accused Vice-President Gabriela Michetti of attempting to hinder the vote by sending the bill to four instead of two committees.

On Monday, Canadian writer Margaret Atwood expressed her support for the ongoing campaign in Argentina to decriminalise elective abortion, with a personal message for the vice-president, who also serves as the Speaker of the Upper House.

“Vicepresident of Argentina @gabimichetti: don’t look away from the thousands of deaths every year from ilegal abortions. Give argentinian women the right to choose!”, Atwood wrote on Twitter, citing the hashtags of the #NiUnaMenos movement and those in favour of abortion like #AbortoLegalYa #QueElAbortoSeaLey and #AbortoEnSenadoYa.

President Mauricio Macri has said he will sign the bill if it is approved.

Argentina now allows abortion only in cases of rape or risks to a woman’s health.

The Catholic Church strongly opposes the new measure.

-TIMES/PERFIL/AGENCIES

 

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