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Portugal's PAN party submits draft bill on euthanasia to parliament

Xinhua, February 22, 2017 Adjust font size:

Portugal's People-Animal-Nature (PAN) Party on Tuesday submitted to parliament a draft bill on medically assisted death.

The draft bill proposes that doctors should be given the "right to conscientious objection," while allowing euthanasia in cases of both physical illness and "psychological suffering."

PAN said in a statement that the submission was made after "an intense process of study and auditions" which began in 2016.

PAN said the date for a parliamentary debate on the bill has yet to be defined to allow a period of social reflexion.

Political parties in Portugal are holding various attitudes towards euthanasia, while some are totally against, some call for referendum.

Those who favour it varied on some details such as the age group eligible to the access and whether or not patients with mental disorders should be excluded.

The Portuguese parliament started debating euthanasia last year following a public petition demanding assisted suicide to be permitted. Endit