Retaliation: The «Green Farmers» Demand Clarifications from Silinš 0 64

As is known, after the incident with the 'Green Farmers' voting on the Istanbul Convention, the Prime Minister publicly reprimanded the Minister of Welfare, Rainis Uzuliņieks (Union of Greens and Farmers), and demanded that he present a report on Latvia's compliance with the provisions of the Istanbul Convention at the next government meeting, which is this Tuesday, October 7. It is clear that this has further escalated the situation within the coalition. The retaliatory move did not take long: a day before the government meeting and two hours before the coalition council, the Union of Greens and Farmers issued a statement demanding explanations from the Prime Minister and her party regarding a recent high-profile incident that occurred in Liepāja. Specifically, a kebab shop worker - a native of Pakistan - made indecent proposals to a visitor to the kebab shop - an 11-year-old girl.

"The Union of Greens and Farmers (UGF) calls on Prime Minister Evika Siliņa and the party alliance 'New Unity' to clarify their position regarding the case in Liepāja, where, as reported by public media, a worker at a Pakistani kebab shop displayed unwanted attention towards an 11-year-old girl.

UGF notes that the Prime Minister's refusal to include this issue in the agenda of the coalition cooperation meeting creates the impression of a reluctance to address significant problems in society related to migration.

UGF emphasizes that such a case is a serious signal in the area of public safety and child protection, and the government should respond responsibly and openly, rather than avoiding discussion on the matter.

UGF reminds that this case falls under the scope of the Istanbul Convention, which aims to protect women and children from any violence or harassment. If 'New Unity' avoids discussion and decisions related to migrants even under such circumstances, it confirms doubts about the appropriateness of this convention, and UGF calls on the party alliance 'New Unity' to support Latvia's withdrawal from the convention.

"If the Prime Minister and 'New Unity' cannot respond even when potential sexual harassment concerns a child, then discussions about the Istanbul Convention become empty and meaningless. Society has the right to expect actions, not silence," emphasize representatives of UGF.

UGF calls on the Prime Minister to publicly clarify her position, assess the actions of the responsible services, and review migration and public safety policies so that such cases are not ignored in the future," the statement from UGF reads. It is evident that the head of government will now have to respond to the incident in Liepāja. The tone of the statement and the implied hints only confirm the determination of the 'Green Farmers' to pursue the issue of Latvia's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention to the end. There may be more to come!