Portugal: abortion still restricted libertarian, egalitarian society, that respects a plurality of identities. Despite the challenges, we are gaining ground with these ideas. • How is the ÖDP developing?
For 16 years in Turkey, fascism, political Islam and neo-liberalism all found a hearing for their ideas. But not those of labour, socialism and revolutionary thought. Hence the interest that greeted the founding of the ODP one year ago. A range of groups recog nised the importance of uniting the revolutionary left, socialists, rank-and-file social democrats, feminists, greens, anti-militarists, anarchists and others in a pluralist party, with multiple voices, and a rainbow perspective.
The second important step was to unite the masses. Today, 85% of our 30,000 members were not previously members of left political groups. One million people have responded to our dialogue. In one way or another, our activities can reach about 450,000 people.
We have three main campaigns - for peace; for democratisation; and for the defence of workers rights against the New World Order, globalisation and privatisation.
A few months after the ODP was founded, we faced the challenge of local elections in many regions. Despite the risks, we decided to participate in five districts where the right was particularly strong. Unlike all the other parties, the ODP selected its candidates locally, rather being designated by the national leadership. We received about 2% of the vote. Given the conditions, this was a success. Recent polls put our support at about 5%. We will be much better organised during the Autumn 1997 parliamentary elections. We are building up our district and provincial organisation, with a layer of experienced cadres. We are now present in 62 districts, 300 sub-districts and 1,000 municipalities.
We have to restructure the left too. No more arbitrary behaviour by the leaders. No more hierarchical models, with obedience to
Proposals to liberalise access to abortion until the 12th week of pregnancy were defeated in the Portuguese Parliament on February 20th. The reform failed because 13 Socialist MPs voted against the liberalisation. Once again, Portuguese progressive movements have been defeated by their pseudoeft "representatives." And Portuguese women have lost a real possibility to change the most repressive abortion aw in continental Europe. At least 16,000 women are forced into illegal abortions every year, in poor conditions and with serious consequences.
The parliamentary discussions started at the end of last year, when a member of parliament elected on the (ruling) Socialist Party list admitted that, as a doctor, he had performed abortions beyond the strict limits permitted by Portuguese law. He proposed an amendment to existing legislation, saying that the legal limits on abortion of malformed foetuses were too strict. This purely medical argument did win parliamentary support.
The proposal to permit abortion until the 12th week of pregnancy was originally presented to parliament by the youth organisations of the Socialist and Communist Parties. Despite their extreme moderation, these proposals were a step forward; recognising women's right to choose. They provoked a new wave of public discussion about the abortion question.
The Catholic church immediately launched a counter-campaign, including television advertisements, opposing abortion. The main opposition to
SOU EU QUE DECIDO
ABORTO LIVRE
CONTRACEPÇÃO GRATUITA ISL the pro-life counter-attack came from the Socialist Revolutionary Party (PSR) Portuguese section of the Fourth International. While the Communist and Socialist Party youth organisations confined themselves to parliamentary lobbying, the PSR ran the only visible campaign on the street; reaching thousands of people.
Many unorganised women did join the campaign to support the liberalisation of the abortion law. But attempts to use this campaign to rebuild the women's movement have failed
Still, the response to the PSR campaign suggests that there has been a change in Portuguese society since abortion was last discussed, in the 1970s, when the country had a flourishing women's movement. This time, younger people understood the issues, and condemned the Church's reactionary campaign. Attendance at the main PSR rally outside the Parliament was very high - even without the "pro-life" counter-demonstration!
[Sergio, PSR] March 1997#286 11
The President of Belarus has accumulated dictatorial powers