President Rudolf Schuster is under immense political pressure in association with the New Citizen's Alliance-tailored revision to the abortion act. Opposition parties and several women's organisations along with pro-choice activists want the president to sign the law, while religious communities and the Christian Democrats (KDH) expect him to veto the legislation.
Bishop František Tondra and Vatican's nuncios to Slovakia Jozef Nowacki used Saturday's national pilgrimage attended by more than 30,000 believers to press on the president to reject the bill. They said the planned visit of the Pope should be a strong enough reason.
Presidential spokesman Jan Füle said the president would make his own decision.
Compiled by Beáta Balogová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
7. Jul 2003 at 9:56