Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 29 May 2018
Portugal considers allowing euthanasia, assisted suicide

By BARRY HATTON ence has been distributing
Associated Press 1.5 million pamphlets argu-
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Af- ing against legalizing eu-
ter legalizing abortion and thanasia, arguing it would
same-sex marriage in re- be “a backward step” for
cent times, Portuguese law- society. “Life cannot be
makers will decide Tuesday regarded as an object for
on another issue that has personal use,” the pam-
brought a confrontation phlet says. The four bills are
between faith and poli- going to a Tuesday after-
tics in this predominantly noon debate in the Repub-
Catholic country: whether lican Assembly, Portugal’s
to allow euthanasia and parliament. The 230 law-
doctor-assisted suicide. makers will vote at the end
The outcome of the vote is of the debate.
uncertain and is likely to be Muddying forecasts, some
close, but Portugal could Socialist lawmakers have
become one of just a hand- said they will vote against
ful of countries in the world their own party’s bill. The
to permit euthanasia under conservative Popular Party
certain circumstances. and the Portuguese Com-
Euthanasia — when a doc- munist Party have said they
tor kills patients at their re- will vote against all four bills.
quest — is legal in Belgium, In this May 24, 2018 file photo, people stand on the steps of the Portuguese parliament in Lisbon The proposed legislation’s
Canada, Colombia, Lux- during a protest against euthanasia. fate depends largely on
embourg and the Nether- Associated Press how many lawmakers
lands. In Switzerland, and — more than double the cal parties — the governing one of them a specialist in with the center-right So-
some U.S. states, assisted amount needed to force a center-left Socialist Party, the relevant illness, and a cial Democratic Party, the
suicide — where patients parliamentary debate last the radical Left Bloc, the psychiatrist must sign off on largest opposition party,
administer the lethal drug year. The petition said al- Green Party, and the Peo- the request to die. The case choose to support it. The
themselves, under medical lowing euthanasia would ple, Animals, Nature party then goes to a Verification party has no official stance
supervision — is permitted. be “a concrete expression — have tabled bills propos- and Evaluation Commit- on euthanasia and is allow-
A series of left-leaning of an individual’s rights to ing euthanasia and doctor- tee, which can approve or ing its lawmakers to vote
governments determined autonomy, to religious free- assisted suicide. Inciting or turn down the procedure. according to their con-
to bring about what they dom and freedom of con- assisting euthanasia is cur- The process is postponed if science. If any of the four
call a “modernization” of science, which are rights rently punishable by up to it is legally challenged, or if bills are approved, they are
the country, as well as the enshrined in the Constitu- three years in prison. the patient loses conscious- forwarded to a parliamen-
Catholic Church’s waning tion.” It added: “It is of the The Socialist government’s ness, and doctors can re- tary committee where they
influence, have opened utmost importance to end bill has the best chance of fuse to perform the pro- can be fine-tuned before
the door to deep cultural pointless and useless suffer- success, having the most cedure on moral grounds. returning to a full plenary
changes in Portugal. That ing, imposed by the con- lawmakers of the par- Oversight is provided by session for a final vote.
trend has included permit- victions of others.” ties proposing legislation, the General-Inspectorate The proposed legislation
ting abortion on demand In response, a petition by though there is little differ- for Health. then goes to the head of
in 2007 and same-sex mar- the Portuguese Federation ence between the four To discourage people from state, who can veto it. If
riage three years later. for Life a few months later parties’ proposals. traveling to Portugal to end President Marcelo Rebelo
A 2016 petition by right- collected more than 14,000 The Socialist bill covers pa- their life, the bills all stipulate de Sousa rejects it, the leg-
to-die activists pushed the signatures and told law- tients who are “in a situa- that patients must either be islation returns to parlia-
contentious and divisive makers that society and tion of extreme suffering, Portuguese citizens or legal ment, which can override
issue of euthanasia onto the state have a duty to with an untreatable injury residents. a presidential veto if two-
the political agenda. It got protect human life. or a fatal and incurable dis- Before the debate, the Por- thirds of lawmakers vote to
more than 8,000 signatures Now, four left-leaning politi- ease.” Two doctors, at least tuguese Episcopal Confer- do so.q
2 women taking selfies struck by lightning in Germany

By FRANK JORDANS citate the 23-year-old and not thought to be endan- Germany’s busiest, be- have been in his 80s, West
Associated Press she remains in intensive gered. cause of storms. Midlands police said.
BERLIN (AP) — Two young care with life-threatening Western Europe has expe- Meteorologists predict tem- Britain’s Met Office weath-
women suffered serious in- injuries, Bochum police rienced heavy storms in re- peratures in Germany will er service said some areas
juries after lightning struck spokesman Volker Schuette cent days, following an un- hit 33 C (91.4 F) this week, of the country received the
them while they were tak- said. usually long stretch of very with high humidity raising equivalent of one month’s
ing selfies in western Ger- The younger woman told warm weather this month. the prospect of further sum- average rainfall in just one
many, officials said Mon- police the last thing she Flash floods as high as mer storms. hour.
day. remembered was walk- 1.6 meters (5.3 feet) sub- In Britain, an elderly man Multiple flood warnings
A spokesman for Bochum ing with her friend on a merged roads and base- died after his car was sub- were put in place in various
police said first responders footpath and recording ments Sunday in parts of merged in water during parts of the country Mon-
found the 23 and 21-year- each other with their smart- central Germany. Firefight- heavy flooding in Rushall, day.
old women lying on the phones, Schuette told The ers in the state of Hesse about 135 miles (215 kilo- The rains followed severe
ground with their clothing Associated Press. rescued two women who meters) north of London. lightning strikes that hit
torn in the city’s Watten- “Clearly they were surprised were trapped in their car The man was taken to a southern England on Sat-
scheid district on Sunday by the storm,” he said. by a mudslide. hospital Monday but pro- urday night, causing flight
evening. The 21-year-old was also Dozens of flights were can- nounced dead shortly after delays at Stansted Airport
Paramedics had to resus- hospitalized, but her life is celed at Frankfurt Airport, arrival. He was believed to north of London.q