New Zealanders voted on the issues in two referendums this month, while voting in a general election that fired Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her Labor Party from power
With around 83% of the votes counted, New Zealanders strongly approved the euthanasia measure, with 65% for and 34% against
The euthanasia measure, which would also allow assisted suicide, would apply to people with a terminal illness, likely to die within six months and enduring « unbearable » suffering
Support for euthanasia has been high for about two decades, according to Lara Greaves of the University of Auckland
« We have seen political polls over the past 10 or 20 years showing a high level of support for euthanasia and the choice of end of life law, » she said
« To get the bill ready to go, it will soon enter into force [this] process »
The ‘no’ vote on marijuana was much closer, with 53% voting against legalization and 46% in favor
That leaves a small chance that the measure will pass again once all the special votes are counted next week, although it would require a huge swing
In previous elections, special votes – which include those cast by foreign voters – tended to be more liberal than general votes
Marijuana measure would allow people to buy up to 14 grams of the drug per day and grow two plants
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and BBC World Service which is copyrighted and may not be reproduced
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time, which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
Cannabis, referendum, New Zealand referendum on cannabis, End of Life Choice Act 2019
News from around the world – UA – New Zealanders vote to legalize euthanasia but appear willing to reject the recreational use of marijuana
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
