Ireland Set To Overturn Abortion Ban In 'quiet Revolution'

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar hailed a "quiet revolution" on Saturday as this traditionally Catholic country looked set to liberalise some of Europe's strictest abortion laws in a historic landslide referendum vote

Dublin, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th May, 2018 ) :Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar hailed a "quiet revolution" on Saturday as this traditionally Catholic country looked set to liberalise some of Europe's strictest abortion laws in a historic landslide referendum vote.

Pro-choice supporters of all ages cheered and cried with joy at counting centres in Dublin as preliminary results showed the proposal to repeal a constitutional ban on terminations winning by around a two-thirds majority.

With the votes counted in 30 of the 40 Constituencies, 68 percent had voted in favour of overhauling the law, on a 65 percent turnout. Dublin Central and Dun Laoghaire had the biggest Yes vote at 77 percent, while the highest No vote was 43 percent in Rosscommon-Galway.

"What we've seen today is the culmination of a quiet revolution that has been taking place in Ireland for the past 10 or 20 years," Varadkar told national broadcaster RTE. "The people have said that we want a modern constitution for a modern country, that we trust women and that we respect them to make the right decisions and the right choices about their own healthcare.

" Varadkar said he wanted a new law allowing abortions to be enacted by the end of the year and Health Minister Simon Harris told AFP that the cabinet would meet on Tuesday to approve the drafting of legislation.

The proposals would see abortion allowed in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and between 12 and 24 weeks in exceptional circumstances. The result looks set to be another hammer blow to the Roman Catholic Church's authority in Ireland, coming three years after referendum voters backed legalising same-sex marriage by 62 percent.

Varadkar, Ireland's first gay prime minister, came to power last year in what was seen as another major milestone for diversity in Ireland. The Church's influence has waned in recent years following a series of child sex abuse scandals. The referendum comes three months before a visit to Ireland by Pope Francis for the World Meeting of Families.