Abortion stalls Dominican Republic Penal Code vote

Santo Domingo.- Deputies of Dominican Republic’s ruling party (PLD) failed to vote as a bloc Thursday on president Danilo Medina’s observations to veto the Penal Code legislation, despite their nearly 3-hour meeting before the session.

The lack of consensus prompted Chamber of Deputies president Abel Martinez to suggest another vote Tuesday after the Chamber’s Justice Commission conducts an extended study, a proposal accepted by lawmakers of the opposition PRSC, PRD and PRM parties.

The decision was adopted after heated debate among 13 deputies, which will likely lead to approval of a bill that allows certain exceptions for abortion, as noted by Medina, including when it endangers the life of the mother, a catastrophic congenital defect, or the result of rape or incest.