Portugal's voters on Sunday decided to ease the country's strict laws on abortion in a referendum, but the turnout was too low to make it legally binding.

Only 43.6 percent of the Catholic nation's 8.7 million eligible voters turned out in the referendum, lower than the 50 percent base line required to lift the abortion ban, though 59.3 percent voted in favor.

The governing Socialists, represented by Prime Minister Jose Socrates, offered full support for the reform.

Despite the low turnout, the outcome could be regarded as a step forward to lifting the abortion ban, said Socrates.

He added that the parliament would discuss and approve the law out of respect for the result of the referendum as well as the will of the Portuguese people.

If the ban is finally lifted, abortions will be allowed in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

In 1998, Portugal tried to reform the anti-abortion law and staged a referendum, in which a slight majority voted to keep the ban and the turnout stood at some 30 percent, still farther from meeting the 50 percent threshold required.

(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2007)