Pavļuts noted that the need to officially recognize domestic partnership has been felt for many years already. This is evidenced by the many difficulties faced by non-married couples.
For example, if an individual falls ill, his or her partner cannot be present at the resuscitation, nor does he or she have the right to give instructions to the doctors or convey the will of their partner, Pavļuts remarked.
Domestic partners also do not share equal rights with married couples on rental issues.
This problem was highlighted by the example of a rescuer who died in the Zolitūde tragedy and his partner and children were left without the right to receive benefits paid to the spouses of other deceased rescuers.
Currently, support for the domestic partnership law, which the alliance plans to submit to Parliament on June 19, has been expressed only by the “New Unity”. Overall, then, counting the votes from the “Development/For”, the bill would have 21 votes.
Asked about how the alliance plans to ensure the majority vote to pass the law, Pavļuts said he does not think that “we need to ensure anything.”
He pointed out that the Latvian Saeima is conservative, but “Development/For” wants to spark a public discussion, and sooner or later Latvia will have to confront the problems surrounding the rights of domestic partners.
The bill will allow people to enter into a domestic partnership agreement, which would be recognized and registered by the government, and thus confer on them the same rights that married couples enjoy.
