Portugal's ruling Socialists will use their majority in parliament to legalise abortion after yesterday's referendum on the issue failed because turnout was too low to make it binding.
More than half of the traditionally Catholic nation's 8.7 million electorate abstained, of those who voted, 59.3 per cent voted to lift the abortion ban, and 40.8 per cent to keep it.
Socialist Prime Minister Jose Socrates said despite the turnout, the outcome was in favour of lifting the ban. Portugal's new abortion law will only allow abortions in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
"The law will now be discussed and approved in parliament. Our interest is to fight clandestine abortion and we have to produce a law that respects the result of the referendum."
The Socialists, who promised to hold an abortion referendum when elected in early 2005, hold 121 seats in the 230-seat parliament and can count on backing from at least two other parties to pass the motion.
Still, a spokesman for Mr Socrates said it was not yet decided when the motion to legalise abortion will be sent to parliament.
Those who oppose abortion questioned Socrates' interpretation of the vote.
"Socrates will be responsible for this sad chapter in Portugal's history, for insisting on a political move that has split Portuguese society," said Jose Ribeiro e Castro, head of the Partido Popular party, which campaigned against abortion.
"Low voter turnout has confirmed that [abortion] was not a critical issue."