Latvia puts off plan to quit treaty on violence against women until after election

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 d