On the platform ManaBalss.lv, within three days, about 50,000 people signed the initiative addressed to the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, urging him not to sign the law on Latvia's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention.
The mentioned 50,000 represents approximately 2.5 percent of the total population of Latvia.
For comparison: 56 members of the Saeima voted for Latvia's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, elected by about 500,000 Latvian citizens who have the right to vote.
The author of the initiative addressed to the president is a certain Linda Auziņa. She explains that the representatives of the initiative are urging the president to exercise the right provided by Article 71 of the Constitution — not to publish the law adopted by the Saeima on Latvia's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention and to return it to the parliament for reconsideration or submit it for a nationwide vote.
As previously reported by bb.lv, on Thursday, the Saeima of Latvia adopted the law on withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention by votes.
The withdrawal law was adopted on an urgent basis; however, it gives the president the opportunity not to publish the law and return it to the Saeima for reconsideration.
Opponents of the law are also considering other options to suspend or delay its entry into force — for example, appealing to the Constitutional Court.
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