Yes or No? That’s the question facing Irish voters as they decide whether to change the country’s constitution and make abortion legal.
Ireland stands divided as it votes in a referendum on abortion rights.
The country has some of the strictest abortion laws in the world –enshrined in its constitution that gives the unborn equal status to mothers. Voters in Ireland voted Thursday and Friday on whether to repeal the constitutional amendment on abortion as written – opening the door for lawmakers to craft new legislation regulating abortion.
CGTN’s Richard Bestic has a look at what voters are facing.
To discuss the context and contention of the abortion debate in Ireland:
- Naomi O’Leary is an Irish journalist and host of The Irish Passport podcast.
- Dr. Siobhan Donahue is an Irish doctor and chairperson of Terminations for Medical Reasons.
- Maeve O’Hanlon is a spokesperson for Love Both, a group advocating to keep the 8th Amendment.
- Helen Linehan is an abortion rights advocate.
For more:
#8thref: As Ireland prepares to vote in a referendum on abortion we lay out the facts surrounding an issue that has divided the Irish electorate for decades. https://t.co/Q6Ukmjmuqt
— The Irish Times (@IrishTimes) May 24, 2018
As Ireland prepares to vote in Friday's abortion referendum, Irish men and women are traveling home from around the world to take part https://t.co/zHUOAzle4x pic.twitter.com/OOoajVcoAX
— CNN International (@cnni) May 24, 2018