Parliament gives nod to early elections law

Jan 29, 2009
TBT staff in cooperation with BNS

RIGA – The Latvian parliament has given the green light to draft amendments to the constitution that would make it possible to dissolve the legislature and hold early elections.

The amendments, which were put forward by the ruling People’s Party, would give parliament the right to dissolve itself with a vote that garnered support from two-thirds of lawmakers. The draft bill on Jan. 29 was sent to committees for consideration.

Under the draft amendments, early parliamentary elections would have to be held then no later than two months after the dissolution of parliament.

Urging his colleagues to endorse the bill, Maris Kucinskis, chairman of the People's Party faction in the parliament, voiced a rather pessimistic vision of the current tight political atmosphere and reiterated his party's position that the present parliament was unable to continue work without a new popular confidence vote.

Latvian President Valdis Zatlers has spoken against the initiative of the People's Party to dissolve parliament now and has submitted his own version of constitutional amendments that would require the support of at least two thirds of voters who took part in last general elections to dissolve parliament.

The president's proposals were also sent to parliament committees for consideration on Jan. 29.

UNITED OPPOSITION

Opposition parties, meanwhile, have said that they would consider working together in the next elections to gain a foothold strong enough to oust the current ruling coalition.

When asked about a possible joint program for the elections, the politicians were not ready to answer. SCP co-chairman Aigars Stokenbergs said that the new party is still developing new regional departments.

"We have understood that our objectives overlap in many ways... When they [regional departments] are ready, then the right moment will come to sit down and discuss whether it is better to run for the elections together," Stokenbergs was quoted by the Baltic News Service as saying.

Asked whether the block of the parties might run together also in case of early parliament elections, the opposition lawmakers said that it will be discussed and they did not exclude the possibility.

According to the cooperation agreement, an action council will be set up to decide on joint legislative and political initiatives, coordinated votes of the factions' lawmakers, and necessity of various public campaigns.

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