site.btaGERB to Petition Constitutional Court on Constitutional Compliance of Istanbul Convention

Sofia, January 31 (BTA) - GERB will petition the Constitutional Court to pronounce itself on the compliance of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, commonly known as the Istanbul Convention, with the Constitution, GERB MP Danail Kirilov, who chairs the parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee, told a briefing on Wednesday.

Kirilov said that the pronouncement of the Constitutional Court will provide a legal reference point in the public debate concerning the Convention. The Court will also give an answer as to the compliance with Article 46 of the Constitution in respect of marriage as a voluntary union between a man and a woman, which is one of the critical issues in the debate. GERB expects the Court's pronouncement to dispel the negative attitudes and speculations about the Convention.

In another development on Wednesday, the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party said that it maintains its demand for holding a referendum about whether or not Bulgaria should ratify the Convention, but with a revised question which reads, "Are you against the Bulgarian Parliament's ratifying the so-called Istanbul Convention of 11 May 2011?". The initial wording of the question was "Do you support the Bulgarian Parliament's ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence?".