DUBLIN: Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar accused campaigners opposing a referendum on liberalising Ireland鈥檚 abortion regime of trying to dupe voters into thinking the government could still change the laws even if they voted 鈥楴o鈥�.
Voters will be asked on Friday if they wish to repeal a constitutional amendment inserted following a 1983 referendum that enshrined the equal right to life of the mother and her unborn child, and to enable parliament to set the laws.
Some politicians appealing for a 鈥楴o鈥� vote have suggested in recent days that if the referendum fails, the constitution could instead be amended again to allow for abortions in cases such as rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormality.
A complete ban was lifted in Ireland five years ago for cases where the mother鈥檚 life is in danger.
鈥淲hat I see now in the final days of this campaign is a tactic by the 鈥楴o鈥� campaign to try and make out that there is some sort of alternative amendment that we could put into our constitution,鈥� Varadkar, who is campaigning for a 鈥榊es鈥� vote, told parliament.
鈥淚 would ask those people 30 years after that amendment was put into our constitution, why has nobody put forward an alternative that would deal with all these hard cases? Why only three days from the vote are people only suddenly raising that?鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a realistic alternative. It is just a tactic and I believe the Irish people will see through that.鈥�
While not on the ballot paper, much of the campaign has focused on the legislation Varadkar intends to bring forward if the referendum is carried, which calls for terminations with no restrictions to be allowed up to 12 weeks into a pregnancy.
That was in line with recommendations made by an all-party parliamentary committee, which came to a more liberal position than some had anticipated after concluding that legislating for termination for reasons of rape and incest was too complex.
The leaders of Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein, the two largest opposition parties, backed Varadkar in saying amending the constitution for such cases was impossible.
However 鈥楴o鈥� campaigners, which include more than half of the Fianna Fail parliamentary party, say the government鈥檚 proposals go too far.
鈥淭he government has used difficult, tragic cases to push through extreme abortion on demand. This is why people are increasingly voting 鈥淣O鈥� to abortion this Friday,鈥� Clare McCarthy, a spokeswoman for the LoveBoth group said in a statement.
Opinion polls have put those who favor liberalising one of the world鈥檚 most restrictive regimes in a clear lead and while there has been some tightening in the margin, two surveys on Sunday showed the 鈥榊es鈥� side pulling further ahead.