Louisiana anti-abortion law denies women right to choose

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Commenting on Boris Yeltsin's victory in the June 12 Russian presidential elections, Mikhail Gorbachev called for as well as cooperation."

It is confirmed now that the Soviet president and the new president of the Russian republic are a twosome. That was in fact evident since the signing on April 23 of the agreement among the representatives of the nine Communist-controlled republics, including Yeltsin and Gorbachev.

Yeltsin's elevation to partnership with 910) the chief of the Soviet Union was sealed by a warm diplomatic reception during his recent visit to the United States. Previously, Yeltsin's attempts to gain recognition from the American and European Common Market tops had been rebuffed. rosCO The chiefs of Western capitalism had made it clear that Gorbachev was their man, and they were not going to take the risk of encouraging any opponent of the Soviet chief, either at the all-Soviet level or in the restive republics.

Since the strike wave in April against price rses, however, it has become clear for the capitalists that Gorbachev can no longer keep control of the political and social processes in the USSR. He needs the backup of someone with credibility for the democratic and workers' movement, and Yeltsin is the best placed to provide this service.

The New York Times editors recognized the Soviet chief's need for backing from the opposition when they wrote on April 26 that the agreement between Gorbachev and Yeltsin was "the first hopeful sign in months that radical reform can be revived and hard-line dictatorship avoided."

Yeltsin met the hopes of Gorbachev and his capitalist friends by succeeding, at least temporarily, in defusing strike action by workers aimed at bringing down the reform Stalinist regime.

Gorbachev, while accepting that Yeltsin had won a clear victory in the Russian elections, still tried to minimize it: In a June 17 interview in Pravda, he said: "Of 103 million voters, 42 to 43 million voted for him [Yeltsin], 25 to 26 million did not majority. show up at the polls, and more than 30 For an election of such importance, a 25 million voted for the other candidates."

percent abstention rate seems high. Some High absenteeism rate left groups called for a boycott, as well as at least two national democratic organizaThe strategy of the Gorbacher faction, tions in the Tatar Autonomous Republic, in fact, had been to run several candidates Ittifak and the Tatar Social Center. The Under in order to try to muddy the waters. It well-informed Russian-language Paris failed, however, to deny Yeltsin his majori- weekly Russkaya Mysl', reported in its ty. Gorbachev conceded that Yeltsin had June 14 issue that on the eve of the elec- economic won at least 57 or 58 percent of the vote. tions there was a tense atmosphere in the General Makashov and V. Zhirinovski Tatar capital. reportedly campaigned on Russian chauvin- In its June 21 issue, Russkaya Mysl' siege ist themes. But little information about reported that only 35 percent of voters in them has appeared in the press. Tuleev, a the Tatar republic voted in the Russian Kazakh by nationality, is from the presidential elections. Kemerovo district, and reportedly stood for Small, theoretically self-governing local autonomy. Kemerovo, including the nationalities make up 17 percent of the Kuzbass coal mining area, was one of the few districts where Yeltsin failed get a (continued on page 7)

Anger

in pp. 10 - 11 Vol. 9, No. 7 JULY 1991 50 CENTS "America has tried making abortions illegal once before and the reason abortion is legal today is because we tried it the other way and it didn't work, " said Teri Bartlett, executive director of Planned ParenthoodLouisiana. Last month, unfortunately, the state legislators of Louisiana disregarded this lesson from history and showed utter contempt for women.

On June 18, the Louisiana state legislature voted overwhelmingly to override Gov. Buddy Roemer's veto of the cruelest, most restrictive abortion law in the nation. It was the first time this century the legislature has overriden a governor's veto.

Under the new law, virtually all abortions in Louisiana are illegal. There are no exceptions for profoundly deformed tetuses or if the health of the woman is threatened.

Only if her life is endangered by the pregnancy, and in some narrowly defined cases of rape and incest, can a Louisiana woman seek abortion. In all cases, abortions must be performed within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy.

Exceptions are a joke The exceptions for rape and incest are "a joke," according to Bartlett. A victim of rape and incest must report the crime within seven days and seek medical attention within five days from a doctor other than the one performing the abortion.

This last provision is to ensure that the woman was not pregnant before the rape. Since rape and incest are among the lowest reported crimes, very few women will benefit by these exceptions.

The exemptions for life-threatening pregnancies are also Draconian in practice. In most cases, it is not discovered until later than 13 weeks whether a pregnancy endangers a woman's life. Under the law, a 15-week pregnant woman who finds her life threatened if she carries to term cannot receive an abortion.

The law also carries stiff criminal penalties against doctors convicted of performing abortions, including $10,000 in fines and (continued on page 9, in “Shocking report documents extent of hunger in America”)

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Soviet voters go vote out Stalinis

CUNIC EGAL "harmony, harmony, and harmony again—

Most restrictive law yet; poses direct challenge to Roe v. Wade

ration Rathleen 0'Nan/Socialist Action