Macedonia's parliament on Wednesday
moved forward with a constitutional amendment which would exclude gay
and lesbian couples from marriage.
Two thirds of lawmakers agreed to begin
the amendment process, leaving little doubt the proposal has the
support needed to become law.
The government has 10 days to draft the
amendment before lawmakers take a final vote.
Ilija Dimovski of the ruling
conservative VMRO-DPMNE party is quoted by the AFP as saying that the
amendment is needed to “protect traditional, family and religious
values of marriage.”
Talk last year of a Gay Pride parade
taking pace in Macedonia prompted the move. Some conservative
politicians and the Orthodox Church responded by calling for the
marriage ban.
Earlier this week, nearby Croatia moved
in the opposite direction, approving
civil unions for gay couples.