Abortion, God Ignite
Controversy at Ecuador
Assembly
Topics such as abortion
and mention of God in
the future Constitution
have given rise to
controversies at the
Ecuadorian Constituent
Assembly.
Discussions over
legalization of abortion
have opened up a very
complicated issue in
Ecuador, where most of
the population is
catholic.
Alianza Pais assembly
member Betty Amores
considers the topic is
not fundamental, and the
rightwing put it on the
table to cause
disagreements, and
somewhat lead to
confrontations at the
Assembly.
Referring to that
polemical subject
Thursday, President
Rafael Correa noted it
is not main concern, and
advocated not to include
it in the new
Constitution the
Assembly is drawing up.
Instead, he called for
the Constitution to
guarantee "the right to
live since the very
moment of conception."
Meanwhile, the top
representative of the
Assembly, Alberto
Acosta, pointed out that
legalization of
abortion, homosexual
marriage, and mention of
God in the preamble of
the Constitution are not
constitutional topics.
Acosta advocated
discussing the inclusion
of the name of God, but
called for a lay
Political Constitution,
without discriminating
beliefs or religions.
"A secular State does
not mean a rejection of
religion, it means the
State accepts all
religions but recognizes
all atheists as well,"
he concluded. |
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