On Thursday, 6 February, the Saeima re-examined amendments to the Saeima Election Law and decided that the voting system for Latvian citizens residing abroad shall remain unchanged – votes cast abroad in Saeima elections shall be considered to be cast in the Riga constituency.

This decision was taken after considering the proposals submitted for repeated review, as well as the objections stated by Andris Bērziņš, President of State. In his letter to the Saeima, the President emphasised that the proposed amendments would impose unequal treatment of persons in an otherwise equal and comparable situation, i.e. voters residing abroad: those voting by mail would be able to choose their constituency, while those voting at Latvia’s diplomatic or consular missions would not have such a choice.

The amendments also provide that henceforth in the Saeima elections it will be possible for people to cast their vote in advance by submitting their ballot for safe-keeping. Furthermore, the amendments also envision that soldiers and national guardsmen stationed abroad will be able to vote in the region of their international mission. In addition, previously adopted amendments to the Civil Procedure Law, which came into force at the beginning of this year, provide that persons with limited capacity to act shall have the right to vote in the Saeima elections.

The amendments also provide that candidates for the Saeima elections shall have to certify in writing that they have command of the official language at the level necessary for the performance of their professional duties. Until now, candidates for the Saeima had to submit a self-evaluation of their proficiency of Latvian.



Saeima Press Service