Portugal’s Constitutional Court has turned down a referendum on “same-sex adoption and co-adoption” over fears that it would be misinterpreted by the general population.
The court ruled that the two questions included in the referendum would be difficult to understand by the majority of voters, as they touch upon two separate subjects, adoption and co-adoption, and condoned the fact that only registered voters residing in Portugal would be eligible to participate in the referendum.
The document has been returned to Parliament, which can either choose to amend the referendum to the court’s requirements or ditch the idea altogether.
If the Parliament chooses to alter the referendum, it will have to simplify the questions and extend the right to vote to Portuguese citizens living abroad.
The questions included in the referendum were:
– Do you believe that a partner of the same-sex should be allowed to adopt the child of their partner?
– Do you agree that same-sex couples, married or cohabitating, should be allowed to adopt a child?
Portuguese President Cavaco Silva had sent the referendum to the Constitutional Court, after Parliament approval on January 17, with only the PSD in favour. The party’s coalition partner, the CDS-PP, abstained en-masse, while all remaining opposition parties (PS, PCP, BE and PEV) voted against.
