VILNIUS (Reuters) -Latvian lawmakers on Wednesday postponed a vote to quit a European treaty aimed at combating violence against women until after a parliamentary election in October next year, a move welcomed by the prime minister who opposes leaving the accord.
Opposition parties joined by a conservative party from the governing coalition pushed through a vote on October 30 to quit the Istanbul Convention, which defines violence against women as a violation of human rights.
Opponents of the treaty say they object to language in it that defines gender as a social convention, and say Latvia’s domestic law already provides enough safeguards against violence towards women. Thousands of supporters of the treaty demonstrated last week in Riga against withdrawal.
President Edgars Rinkevics declined to sign off on the withdrawal. Parliament can still enact the measure with another vote, but lawmakers accepted a call from Rinkevics to schedule the new vote after next year’s election.
Prime Minister Evika Silina called the postponement “a victory of democracy, rule of law and women’s rights”.
“It is a victory of the Latvian people. Latvia is a reliable partner and ally, and remains committed to European values”, she posted on X.
(Reporting by Andrius Sytas and Anna RingstromEditing by Terje Solsvik and Peter Graff)
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