Latvian President Egils Levits sent the law on the country's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention back to the Saeima for reconsideration, which caused a wide public outcry. This was reported by the BBC, writes UNN.
Details
The head of state appealed to the parliament with a demand to reconsider the decision to denounce the Council of Europe Convention on preventing violence against women and domestic violence. Levits explained this by the need for a "deeper discussion" of the document, which is of great importance for the protection of human rights.
After the law was adopted on October 31, citizens submitted a petition against this decision, collecting more than 62,000 signatures in three days – a record for Latvia. The president's position was also supported by Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, who represents the ruling party "New Unity."
Opponents of the Convention claim that its provisions on "gender" allegedly contradict traditional values. At the same time, according to the Constitution of Latvia, if the Saeima approves it again, the president will no longer have the right to send the law back for review a second time.
Recall
On October 30, the Saeima of Latvia adopted a bill on the country's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. 56 deputies voted for denunciation, 32 against, and two abstained.
Before the vote, thousands of people gathered near the Saeima building in Riga, protesting against the authorities' plans to withdraw Latvia from the Istanbul Convention.