Word: referendum
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...Next week, the country will vote on a constitutional amendment that would tighten the E.U.'s most restrictive abortion law further by eliminating psychiatric threats - in other words, potential suicide - from consideration. Whatever happens at the polls, most Irish women who consider an abortion won't be affected. This referendum debate has been about the rare hard cases. The day-to-day reality - about 10% of Irish pregnancies end in overseas abortions - has been largely overlooked...
...referendum comes a year after a large majority of Swiss turned down a proposal to start negotiating to join the European Union. But the federal government - which has been pushing for a "yes to the U.N." vote - is hoping last year's result is not an omen. Indeed, it notes that being a U.N. member is a far simpler matter than joining the E.U. And a "no" vote, proponents say, would shut Switzerland out of global decision making and undercut its role as a diplomatic mediator. "In a world where image is very important, we would be seen as selfish...
...Switzerland never joined before? When the organization first came to Geneva in 1946, postwar fear of communism was rife and the cautious Swiss decided to stay outside. In a 1986 referendum, 76% of voters rejected membership; distrust of the Soviets, as well as political squabbles between superpowers, was blamed for the defeat. Today, Nordmann says, "the international environment is different and the U.N is different. We can no longer hide behind the shield of neutrality...
...Middle East by proposing a new plan providing for Palestinian legislative elections followed by recognition of a Palestinian state. The plan, unveiled by E.U. Foreign Ministers at a meeting in Spain, calls on Israel to pull back from West Bank towns and allow Palestinians to campaign for a referendum followed by council elections...
...obtain greater rights. And, he says, Europe would be saddled with "a tiny state that is economically hardly sustainable." E.U. and U.S. officials are pressing for "a democratic Montenegro in a democratic Yugoslavia," warning Djukanovic not to take any "unilateral actions." But if there is to be a referendum, they insist that the rules - including the form of the ballot question and the proportion of votes needed to win - must be agreed upon in advance with the local opposition...