THE leader of the Christian Solidarity Party, Dr Gerard Casey, said politicians and the media were desperate to prevent the abortion controversy becoming an election issue. "But whether they like it or not, it is an election issue and will remain one," he said.
Dr Casey said, in a statement, Fianna Fail was not the only party in trouble over the issue. "How have the Government parties, Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left, carried out their promise to continue work on the... problems raised by the X case?' And why does the PD leader Mary Harney say that a referendum is the last thing that the country needs at this time? Why are the politicians afraid to let the people decide?
"The obvious solution to the problem is a referendum, not the `take a little abortion or you'll get a lot of abortion' referendum that we were offered in the wake of the X case, but a referendum that offers a clear and unambiguous choice to the people.
The Alliance for Choice expressed its full support for yesterday's Dail protest by students urging the Government to enact legislation on abortion in line with the Supreme Court judgment in the X case. Ms Ailbhe Smyth said the alliance "rejects recent calls for yet another abortion referendum which could have no purpose other than to erode the right to life of the pregnant woman as currently acknowledged in Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution
Youth Defence claimed Fianna Fail was "pro-life vote-grabbing" before the general election. This "new strategy" insulted the intelligence of the Irish people. The organisation said in a statement: "For two years following the X-case decision, Fianna Fail proved themselves to be no supporters of the right-to-life of the unborn child. If that has changed then let Fianna Fail show us proof by committing themselves to a pro-life referendum before the general election."