REFERENDUM
Irish rivals jostle for the upper hand in tense abortion vote
Some expatriate Irish fly home from as far away as Bangkok, Los Angeles and Sydney to cast their ballots
Dublin — The rival sides in Ireland’s decades-old battle over abortion made their final pitches to voters on Thursday — the eve of a referendum on liberalising one of the world’s strictest bans on terminations. Voters in the once deeply Catholic nation will be asked on Friday if they wish to scrap a prohibition enshrined in the constitution by referendum 35 year ago, then partly lifted five years ago for cases where the mother’s life is in danger. Opinion polls put those who favour changing the law in the lead. The two most recent surveys showed the "Yes" side pulling slightly further ahead. "This is a once-in-a-generation decision for the Irish people," Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told reporters. "It is an opportunity for us to change our country. If there is a ‘Yes’ vote, Ireland will still be the same place, just a place that is a little bit more compassionate, a little kinder and a little more understanding that it has been." "Yes" campaigners are urging voters to repeal the eig...
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