United List opposes ratification of Istanbul Convention, but has not promised to withdraw from it - Kulbergs

RIGA - The United List has opposed the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, but has not promised to immediately withdraw from the agreement, Prime Minister and United List prime ministerial candidate Andris Kulbergs said during LETA's pre-election broadcast called What Was That All About?

"We never wrote anywhere that we need to denounce it or withdraw now. That is an entirely different matter," Kulbergs said.

He noted that the United List's position had been aimed at preventing the convention from being ratified, and that this had also been the party’s promise to voters. At the same time, Kulbergs said that he himself does not support making this issue a top political priority.

According to Kulbergs, the Istanbul Convention has not, in his view, significantly changed the daily lives of Latvia’s residents. Instead, attention should be focused on specific European Union (EU) directives and legal provisions that provide protection against violence, including online violence.

"Why do we need all this international fuss?" Kulbergs asked, adding that the public’s more important priorities are healthcare, the cost of living, security, education, and the economy.

As reported, a protest against withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention outside the Saeima drew a crowd of about 5,000 people, making it one of the largest in recent years. This was followed by another protest in Dome Square, which drew at least 10,000 residents.

The protests followed the decision by the opposition and the Union of Greens and Farmers to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention. Later, however, a majority of MPs, at the urging of President Edgars Rinkevics, decided to postpone a decision on a possible withdrawal from the convention for the duration of this parliamentary session.

In Latvia, the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence-commonly known as the Istanbul Convention-entered into force on May 1 of last year. It is an international treaty that requires its member states to develop coordinated policies to better protect women from all forms of violence, as well as women and men from domestic violence. Among other things, member states must provide comprehensive assistance and protection to victims, including crisis centers, a 24-hour crisis hotline, specialized support centers for victims of sexual violence, and must protect and support children who have witnessed violence.