IRELAND: REFERENDUM ON DIVORCE
2.5 هزار بار بازدید -
9 سال پیش
-
(23 Nov 1995) English/Nat
(23 Nov 1995) English/Nat
The Republic of Ireland votes Friday on whether to change its constitution to allow divorce and the outcome is too close to call.
A strong wind of change is blowing in this traditionally strongly Catholic country -- but conservative forces resisting change may still carry the day.
Though it sees itself as a progressive country, few traditional values in Ireland have really changed
This referendum on the country's constitution, which would allow divorce and second marriages, has angered traditionalists who want to retain the religious, Catholic state envisaged by its founding fathers.
A bitter wars of words, and hard-hitting pro- and anti-divorce campaigns have characterised the buildup to Friday's vote.
A similar referendum 1986 was rejected by two to one.
The outcome of this vote is too difficult to predict -- in the latest polls, up to 20 percent of the population are as yet undecided.
A provision for legal separation which stops short of outright divorce already exists in the Republic of Ireland. It was introduced following the failure of the last referendum and provides for child custody, and financial support.
But it falls short of cutting all ties between married couples.
Terry O'Leary has been separated from his wife for nine years, and is in a second relationship.
But in the State's eyes, he remains a married man.
SOUNDBITE:
"I've been separated for the last say nine years. I'm actually still married on the constitution of this country. I'm actually married at this time 22 years but we haven't been living together for the last nine years. When we say divorce referendum for instance, in this country we have the legal separation bill, that entails everything that would be normally be in divorce baring the right to remarry so in some ways it is misleading to say divorce referendum - its actually about the right to remarry."
SUPER CAPTION: Terry O'Leary, separated husband
And that right to remarry is at the very heart of the objections of the anti-divorce lobby.
95 per-cent of Irish people are Catholic, and under the Catholic church, marriage is for life.
Traditionalists say any attempt to change the commitment to marriage will undermine marriage, and damage the country.
SOUNDBITE:
"What they are seeking, not them all by any means, but a limited number of them are seeking the right to remarry. And for seeking that right to remarry the price we would have to pay is to undermine the marriage of everybody else in the state. From being a permanent life-long commitment to each other every marriage in the state would turn into a temporary contract which could be torn up at any time by one of the parties."
SUPER CAPTION: Judge Rory O'Hanlon, Former High Court Judge
Advertisements supporting the referendum amendment have accused the anti-divorce campaign of scare tactics. .
While initially there was overwhelming support for divorce when the amendment was first proposed, that has dwindled.
Anti-divorce campaigners have raised fears that families will not receive enough support.
And they have suggested that divorce would itself lead to an increase in marriage breakdowns.
SOUNDBITE:
SUPER CAPTION: Peter Ward, Right to Remarry
After initially taking a middle road, newspaper editorials are now openly backing the amendment.
But on the streets, uncertainty remains.
SOUNDBITE: VOXPOP
"I'm voting no."
Q: "Why?"
A: "Well if my husband decides to divorce me and I'm left and he has another family then I'm the one who is going to be left holding the baby."
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The Republic of Ireland votes Friday on whether to change its constitution to allow divorce and the outcome is too close to call.
A strong wind of change is blowing in this traditionally strongly Catholic country -- but conservative forces resisting change may still carry the day.
Though it sees itself as a progressive country, few traditional values in Ireland have really changed
This referendum on the country's constitution, which would allow divorce and second marriages, has angered traditionalists who want to retain the religious, Catholic state envisaged by its founding fathers.
A bitter wars of words, and hard-hitting pro- and anti-divorce campaigns have characterised the buildup to Friday's vote.
A similar referendum 1986 was rejected by two to one.
The outcome of this vote is too difficult to predict -- in the latest polls, up to 20 percent of the population are as yet undecided.
A provision for legal separation which stops short of outright divorce already exists in the Republic of Ireland. It was introduced following the failure of the last referendum and provides for child custody, and financial support.
But it falls short of cutting all ties between married couples.
Terry O'Leary has been separated from his wife for nine years, and is in a second relationship.
But in the State's eyes, he remains a married man.
SOUNDBITE:
"I've been separated for the last say nine years. I'm actually still married on the constitution of this country. I'm actually married at this time 22 years but we haven't been living together for the last nine years. When we say divorce referendum for instance, in this country we have the legal separation bill, that entails everything that would be normally be in divorce baring the right to remarry so in some ways it is misleading to say divorce referendum - its actually about the right to remarry."
SUPER CAPTION: Terry O'Leary, separated husband
And that right to remarry is at the very heart of the objections of the anti-divorce lobby.
95 per-cent of Irish people are Catholic, and under the Catholic church, marriage is for life.
Traditionalists say any attempt to change the commitment to marriage will undermine marriage, and damage the country.
SOUNDBITE:
"What they are seeking, not them all by any means, but a limited number of them are seeking the right to remarry. And for seeking that right to remarry the price we would have to pay is to undermine the marriage of everybody else in the state. From being a permanent life-long commitment to each other every marriage in the state would turn into a temporary contract which could be torn up at any time by one of the parties."
SUPER CAPTION: Judge Rory O'Hanlon, Former High Court Judge
Advertisements supporting the referendum amendment have accused the anti-divorce campaign of scare tactics. .
While initially there was overwhelming support for divorce when the amendment was first proposed, that has dwindled.
Anti-divorce campaigners have raised fears that families will not receive enough support.
And they have suggested that divorce would itself lead to an increase in marriage breakdowns.
SOUNDBITE:
SUPER CAPTION: Peter Ward, Right to Remarry
After initially taking a middle road, newspaper editorials are now openly backing the amendment.
But on the streets, uncertainty remains.
SOUNDBITE: VOXPOP
"I'm voting no."
Q: "Why?"
A: "Well if my husband decides to divorce me and I'm left and he has another family then I'm the one who is going to be left holding the baby."
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Twitter: Twitter: AP_Archive
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Instagram: Instagram: APNews
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
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