Parliamentary Elections a Sign of Stability in Latvia
October 13, 2006

Parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on October 7, marking the first round of elections in the country since joining NATO and the European Union in 2002.  The International Herald Tribune reports that the incumbent three-party coalition government received an additional six seats in the Saeima (parliament), marking the “first time in Latvia that a sitting government has maintained its grip on power since the country broke away from the Soviet Union in 1991.”  Incumbent Aigars Kalvitis will continue to serve as Prime Minister of Latvia.

The Baltic Times calls the election “one of the lowest turnouts in years,” citing that around 62%, of eligible voters cast ballots earlier last weekend, amassing a total of 901,796 votes.  Despite the low turnout, associate professor in political science at the University of Latvia Andris Runcis claims that “the newly elected ruling coalition is definitely good for Latvia’s political stability” according to the same Baltic Times report.

According to Freedom House, civil liberties in Latvia have expanded in the last year due to the “increase in the activity and visibility of the nongovernmental sector,” raising the civil liberties classification from “2” to “1” since the 2005 publication of Freedom in the World.  Latvia is listed as a “free” country in the same publication.

Sources:

IHT:  Latvia's coalition government takes majority in parliamentary elections
Baltic Times: Latvian government returns with majority
Freedom House: Freedom in the World, Latvia