RIGA - Latvian President Valdis Zatlers has signed off on constitutional amendments that will make Latvia the only country in the EU where the electorate can directly dissolve the parliament by popular vote.
The Constitution's Article 14 now states that no less than one-tenth of
voters can initiate a national referendum on dissolution of the
parliament. If a majority of referendum participants, and no less than
two-thirds of the number of voters who participated at the previous
Saeima elections, votes for dissolution, the parliament will be deemed
dissolved.
The Constitutional provision that the electors may not recall any individual member of the Saeima remains unchanged.
The
Constitution's Article 49 has also been amended so that extraordinary
Saeima elections are called no sooner than one month, and no later than
two months, after the current Saeima is dissolved.
The amendments will take effect after the 10th Saeima elections.
