Lithuanian President: Talks about civil unions for same-sex couples are too ‘premature’
The Lituania President has said that she thought that discussions on civil partnerships for gay couples were “premature”.
Dalia Grybauskaite said the discussions on the introduction of same-sex civil partnerships in the country were premature, but did not give her personal opinion on the issue, reports 15min.
She said: “I think these discussions in Lithuania are very premature and are only starting. I think it’s worth holding discussions on any issue in Lithuania. And when the time comes, then we’ll decide. I think it’s a very premature discussion.”
In Lithuania, the Liberal Movement is the only party in favour of same-sex civil partnerships. Civil unions for straight couples are not legal in Lithuania either.
The Lithuania Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius, on Wednesday, after a debate on the issue, voiced his opposition to same-sex civil unions.
“I have a strong opinion about same-sex partnerships and have said on numerous occasions that I am against them,” he said.
During the debate, the Leader of the Liberal Movement, Eligijus Masiulis, said: “We do not divide people into sexes and we’re talking about partnership between very different people, recognising all forms of partnership. We have no moral or political right to ignore these people’s problems and pretend they do not come up.”
Marija Ausrine Pavilioniene of the ruling Social Democrats, posted the question of support of civil partnerships to Dalia Kuodyte, a member of the Liberals, who responded positively.
After Marija Aušrinė Pavilionienė of the ruling Social Democrats asked whether the Liberals were in support of same-sex partnerships, Dalia Kuodytė, a member of the Liberal Movement, replied in the positive.
Kuodytė said: “I see no reasons why a certain group should have restricted rights to partnership. Therefore, we need to talk about the institute of partnership as such, which could be an option for both heterosexual and homosexual couples.”
