'	Social & Moral Issues Abortion

CHALLENGE TO DEBATE NEW ABORTION LAW PRESS RELEASE Embargo: None Enquiries: Philip Rosenthal 082 6768966 14 August 2004 Public challenge to Parliament to debate new abortion law ChristianView Network, hereby challenge the Parliamentary Committee on Health to debate the proposed 'Choice of Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill' in any public leaders forum, newspaper or radio station. The government is planning to vote on the proposed new abortion law to allow nurses to kill babies on Thursday 19th August 04 without any debate. They say it would be 'irresponsible' to have a debate since the issue was already debated in 1996. What do they mean by 'irresponsible'? Are they are afraid they will lose the debate? The argument that they have already debated the issue is very weak. Here are eleven reasons to debate the proposed new law: i. The new bill would make major changes in the role of nurses; endangers the safety of women; and the number of hospitals doing abortions. It is not just technical changes from the 1996 Abortion law. ii. At the public hearings on the 4th August, all groups who spoke, including the nurses union, churches, Christian healthcare groups, welfare groups raised major problems with the proposed bill. The committee acknowledged these as important, but now are trying to steamroll the bill, while ignoring these issues. iii. Even those nurses supporting abortion say it should not be rushed because the Health Service does not have capacity to implement it. There is no reason of urgency to pass this bill without a debate. iv. The main argument motivating the 1996 law was to reduce the number of women being injured by illegal abortions. It appears legal abortion has failed to stop injuries to women, and this may in fact have increased. This proposed law would increase the risks to women. v. At the 1996 debate all majority party MP's were forced to vote in favour of the abortion bill under threat of party discipline. This is against the constitutional right to freedom of conscience and the spirit of democracy. vi. Independent opinion polls have shown the 1996 abortion law to be South Africa's most unpopular law. 9/10 South Africans believe abortion is morally wrong. The vast majority of nurses and doctors oppose it. This proposed new law would make it worse. Doesn't public opinion deserve to be heard? vii. The Evangelical Alliance has collected 64 000 signatures for the abolition of the 1996 abortion law and a constitutional amendment to protect the unborn. viii. Parliament finds time to debate many other bills of comparatively trivial importance. If they do not have time to debate it now, they can delay it until they do have time. ix. Much of the information used to motivate the original 1996 abortion law has been shown to be false. x. The 1996 abortion law has been shown to have failed in its implementation. - There is massive conscientious objection to it in hospitals. - There is large scale abuse of the rights of conscientious objectors. - It is being ignored and abortionists are regularly breaking it without prosecution. - Women are not being counselled as to the health risks of abortion and the development of the baby as promoted by the law. - Statistics on injuries and deaths of mothers resulting from failed legal abortions are not being kept. xi. The support of some of those who voted in favour of the law was conditional on the protection of the rights of conscientious objectors. This is not happening. The changes include no mechanisms to protect conscientious objectors. Is the government afraid that their members of parliament will think before they vote? Do they just want them to vote on instruction? Is South Africa a still democracy? ChristianView Network believes the bill should be properly debated in parliament and in the media and is prepared to debate the bill with members of the Parliamentary Committee on Health in any newspaper, radio or political leaders forum. ChristianView Network also challenges opposition parties to similarly challenge the government to debate this bill in parliament. The new law is euphemistically called "The Choice of Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill". ChristianView Network is a pro-life, pro-moral public advocacy organisation. ChristianView Network, together with Students for Life and Pro-life South Africa will be protesting the proposed bill and the plan not to debate it in parliament outside parliament gates on Tuesday 17th August at 7:15 to 9am. Enquiries: Philip Rosenthal, Director ChristianView Network 021-6854500 or 082 676 8966 (For the alternative viewpoint: The Chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Commitee on Health, Mr L.V. Ngculu can be contacted at 021-403 3240 or 082 577 0519) ================================ ChristianView Network Tel/fax: +2721 6854500 Mobile: +2782 6768966 Mail: Postnet 114, P/Bag X18, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa Web: www.ChristianView.org _______________________________________________ Please read our disclaimer   Back to Social Issues