The majority of parliamentarians voted on Thursday for the urgency of the bill on withdrawing from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).
52 deputies from opposition parties and the coalition partner Union of Greens and Farmers (UGF) voted for urgency, 31 deputies from the factions of "Progressives" and "New Unity" voted against, and UGF deputy Andris Berzinsh abstained. Thus, less than two-thirds of those present voted for urgency.
The deadline for submitting proposals on the bill was set at just one day.
According to the Constitution, if the Saeima adopts a law as urgent by a majority of at least two-thirds of the votes, the president cannot demand a second reading of this law, it cannot be put to a referendum, and it must be proclaimed no later than the third day after the president receives the adopted law.
President Edgars Rinkēvičs is currently very reserved regarding the denunciation of the Istanbul Convention. Rinkēvičs added that he would not participate in the discussion "until the parliament makes a decision one way or another."
