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 Leading lawmakers in the Christian Democrat party, the coalition's
senior partner, told Reuters that fewer than a third of its 21
legislators in the lower chamber of Congress fully support the
proposed reform.
That would mean Bachelet and her Socialist Party are short of the
votes needed to pass the current bill.
Chile is one of only six countries with an outright ban on abortion.
It had been legal in some cases but was abolished by General Augusto
Pinochet late in his 1973-1990 dictatorship.
Bachelet promised reform when she was elected president for a second
time in 2013 but her approval ratings have slumped following
high-profile scandals involving allies and ongoing student protests,
weakening her position in Congress.
Divorce was legalized in Chile in 2004, same-sex unions were signed
into law last year, and a 2014 poll found that 70 percent of
Chileans supported abortions in extraordinary circumstances.
Bachelet's proposals would allow an abortion if a mother's life is
in danger, if a fetus is unviable or when a pregnancy is a result of
rape.
But her bill has prompted bitter feuding inside her government,
putting major parts of the reform in jeopardy.
"A huge majority of the party has doubts about at least one of the
three causes for abortion," said Victor Torres, one of two Christian
Democrats on the health commission of Chile's lower chamber and a
supporter of the reform.
"Right now we only have six deputies who currently support the full
bill," Torres said, noting that a "great majority” of his party's
lawmakers oppose abortion in cases of rape.
Lawmakers say Christian Democrats will try to eliminate the option
of abortions in cases of rape and ensure that fathers have a say in
the termination of an unviable fetus.
"The rape clause will likely be rejected," said Matias Walker, vice
president of the Christian Democrats. "As for fetal viability, we
believe this will pass, but only where the father, when possible,
has a say."
Juan Luis Castro, a Socialist Party lawmaker who is president of the
lower house's health committee and supports the reform, says he
believes the rape clause will pass after debate. He added that the
bill would be modified but that an amendment on paternal consent
would be "difficult to accept."
Supporters of Bachelet's plan oppose the idea of a woman needing
permission to terminate a pregnancy.
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"Fathers, brothers, doctors, how can they tell you what to do with
your body if they haven't experienced what they're talking about,"
said Andrea Quiroga, an accountant who said she was forced to wait
until a terminally ill fetus died in her womb before doctors induced
delivery.
Bachelet's approval rating sank to 27 percent in June and she risks
losing political capital over the abortion bill. It could force her
to dilute other reforms, including a plan to strengthen workers'
protections with new labor laws and an overhaul of the privatized
education system.
"It will be difficult to convince the Christian Democrats, who are
relatively conservative, to support other leftist plans down the
road after this fight," said Esteban Valenzuela, director of
political science at Alberto Hurtado University.
Chile, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Malta, the Dominican Republic and the
Holy See outlaw abortion under any circumstance.
Abortion in Chile is punishable by up to five years in prison
although most women receive non-jail punishments such as fines.
South America has seen a cautious liberalization on abortion law
with reforms in countries such as Argentina, Colombia and Bolivia.
Uruguay in 2012 became the second country in Latin America, after
Cuba, to legalize abortion for all women.
But for Chile's conservative opposition, changes elsewhere are
irrelevant.
"While the world was under slavery, Chile was the first abolitionist
country," said Deputy Jorge Rathgeb of the opposition National
Renewal party. "When everyone else does something differently, that
doesn’t mean we should do it too."
(Reporting by Gram Slattery; Editing by Kieran Murray)
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