Opposition IRL party is strongly against passing of the civil partnership bill and had submitted its counter motion to put the question on a nation-wide referendum.

The parliament, which was due to have a second reading of a bill legalising civil partnerships in Estonia, instead spent the whole of today’s meeting discussing IRL counter motion.

Conservative MPs used up parliamentary time by asking as many questions and giving long speeches. Their main fear was simple: civil partnerships will introduce gay marriage in disguise.

The debate will resume at 1 PM on Wednesday with a vote on IRL motion to put the civil partnership bill on referendum. The committee on constitutional affairs, which is responsible for handling IRL proposal, has however officially suggested that parliament reject the plebiscite initiative.