President Kagame yesterday received representatives of Christian churches following their request to meet him over the ongoing debate regarding the abortion clause in the draft Penal Code. Parliament recently proposed exceptions to the law that criminalises abortion.Commenting on the discussion, Bishop Smaragde Mbonyintege, President of the Rwanda Episcopal Conference (CEPR), who led the delegation, said he was pleased that President Kagame had responded positively to their request for dialogue on the important issue of abortion, which he attributed to the culture of good governance that characterises today’s Rwanda."We will partner with the government on initiatives to prevent unplanned pregnancies and offer our support and guidance to women who conceive as a result of sexual abuse. However, we recognise that ultimately, the choice of whether or not to proceed with the pregnancy belongs to the woman”.Minister of Local Government, James Musoni who attended the meeting described the discussion with the religious leaders as constructive; "Rwandan law continues to prohibit abortion, except under the circumstances stipulated in the Penal Code. But we agreed today that the rights of all people, including women facing traumatic situations, must be respected”.Article 165 of the draft Penal Code, which was approved by the Chamber of Deputies, and is now under consideration the Senate, criminalises abortion but outlines four exceptional cases under which it may be permitted by a court of law.The article stipulates that there is no criminal liability for a woman who causes her own abortion and a medical doctor who facilitates the abortion under any of the following circumstances; in case of pregnancy as a result of incest, rape, forced marriage, and/or when the continuation of a pregnancy seriously jeopardises the health of the unborn baby or the pregnant woman.But only a court of law will have the powers to sanction an abortion on the basis of evidence submitted with regard to any of the aforementioned exceptions.