| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Saeima / Parliament |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
2 October 2010 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. |
The 2010 elections were the first to be held following the 2008 global economic crisis that severely hit the country of 2.2 million inhabitants. In December 2008
Latvia was granted a 7.5-billion-euro bailout from by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and another 1.3 billion euros from the European Union (EU). The country's economy shrank by 18 per cent in 2009 and unemployment soared to 20 per cent. Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis
who took office in March 2009
implemented austerity measures including wage cuts of up to 50 per cent in the public sector.
Previous elections in October 2006 were won by then Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis' centre-right government. His new government comprised the People's Party (TP
which won 23 seats)
the Union of Farmers and Greens (ZZS
18 seats)
the Electoral Union of Latvia's First Party (LPP) - The Latvian Way (LC)
which took a total of 10 seats
as well as the Conservative Union for the Fatherland and Freedom (TB/LNNK
eight seats). The opposition included the New Era (JL) and the Centre for Harmony
which took 18 and 17 seats respectively as well as the For Civil Rights party (PCTVL) which took six seats. In May 2007
parliament elected Mr. Valdis Zatlers
the coalition government's candidate
as the country's new President.
In October 2007
Prime Minister Kalvitis resigned. Mr. Ivars Godmanis (LC) - the country's first post-independence Prime Minister - succeeded him in December 2007.
Street protests demanding the dissolution of parliament took place in January 2009
inspired by the global economic crisis. The LC-LPP's coalition partners - the TP and the ZZS - called for the Prime Minister's resignation
which he tendered in February 2009. Former finance minister
Mr. Valdis Dombrovskis (JL)
took over from him in March 2009. He subsequently led a minority government comprising the JL
the ZZS and the TB/LNNK.
The 2010 elections were contested by 1
234 candidates from 13 political parties and coalitions of political parties. They saw a duel between the centre-right Unity coalition
led by Prime Minister Dombrovskis
and the left-wing opposition Centre for Harmony (SC)
led by the Mayor of the capital Riga
Mr. Nils Usakovs.
The Unity coalition comprised Prime Minister Dombrovskis' New Era (JL
currently led by Ms. Solvita Aboltina)
the Civic Union (PS) of Mr. Girts Valdis Kristovskis and the Society for Other Politics (SCP) of Mr. Gatis Kokins. The two other parties in the outgoing government - the ZZS and the TB/LNNK - stayed outside the Unity coalition. The TB/LNNK of Mr. Roberts Zile formed the National Alliance coalition with the far-right Everything for Latvia party (VL). The LPP-LC of Mr. Ainars Slesers formed an election coalition
For a Better Latvia
with the TP of Mr. Andris Skele.
The SC comprised the pro-Russian Social Democratic party Harmony
the Socialist Party of Latvia and the Daugavpils City Party. Harmony was formed under the leadership of Mr. Janis Urbanovics in February 2010 by parties in the Concord Centre. The Russian speaking minority accounts for 27 per cent of the population.
Prime Minister Dombrovskis called on voters' support for the Unity coalition
arguing that the austerity measures implemented under his government were the only way to restore the country's economy. Latvia reportedly needed to find a further 800 to 900 million lats (US$ 1.5-US$ 1.7 billion) through budget cuts or tax increases over the next two years to respect the bailout terms. The Prime Minister's plan included a 6% reduction in the 2011 budget. He promised to introduce the EU currency
the euro
in 2014.
The SC pledged to provide a social-democratic alternative and criticized the government for its budget cuts and tax increases. It pledged to renegotiate the reimbursement plan of the bailout granted by the IMF and the EU and withdraw Latvian troops from Afghanistan.
President Zatlers underscored the need to respect the terms of the bailout and stated that the support for the withdrawal of the troops would compromise any party's bid to participate in the new government.
In all
62.63 per cent of 1.5 million registered voters turned out at the polls.
Five parties/coalitions surpassed the 5-per cent threshold. The Unity coalition came in first with 33 seats
winning four more seats than its rival SC. Prime Minister Dombrovskis received the highest number of preferential votes. The other parties in his outgoing government - the ZZS and the National Alliance - took 22 and eight seats respectively. For a Better Latvia (LPP-LC) won eight seats
while the PCTVL failed to win parliamentary representation.
On 2 November
the newly elected parliament held its first session and elected Ms. Solvita Aboltina of the New Era
which was a part of the Unity coalition
as its new Speaker.
On the same day
President Zatlers invited Mr. Dombrovskis to form a new government. Mr. Dombrovskis' government
comprising his Unity coalition and the ZZS
won a vote of confidence in parliament on 3 November. Mr. Dombrovskis - a 39-year-old former member of the European Parliament - is the youngest Prime Minister in the EU. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 2 October 2010 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
1'491'735
934'336 (62.63%)
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| Unity (VIENOTIBA) |
|
301'429 |
|
|
31.22 |
|
|
| Centre for Harmony (SC) |
|
251'400 |
|
|
26.04 |
|
|
| Union of Farmers and Greens (ZZS) |
|
190'025 |
|
|
19.68 |
|
|
| For a Better Latvia (LPP-LC) |
|
73'881 |
|
|
7.65 |
|
|
| National Alliance (NA) |
|
74'029 |
|
|
7.67 |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| Unity (VIENOTIBA) |
33
|
|
|
|
|
| Centre for Harmony (SC) |
29
|
|
|
|
|
| Union of Farmers and Greens (ZZS) |
22
|
|
|
|
|
| For a Better Latvia (LPP-LC) |
8
|
|
|
|
|
| National Alliance (NA) |
8
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
81
19
19.00%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
21 to 30 years
31 to 40 years
41 to 50 years
51 to 60 years
61 to 70 years
Over 70 years
|
8
12
33
31
13
3
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
| Civil service and local authority administration |
13 |
| Legal profession |
11 |
| Entrepreneur |
10 |
| Education profession |
8 |
| Research/sciences |
8 |
| Architect
surveyor
engineer |
7 |
| Finance
management or business |
6 |
| Journalism
broadcasting
media |
5 |
| Physician
dentist |
4 |
| Agriculture/farming |
4 |
| Armed services/Police |
4 |
| IT/technology |
4 |
| International civil servant |
3 |
| Civil society activity |
3 |
| Social worker |
3 |
| Writer
literary
artist |
2 |
| Political party official |
2 |
| Economist |
2 |
| Clerical
secretarial
administration |
1 |
|
| Comments |
Note on distribution of seats according to sex:
Nineteen women were elected in October 2010. However
after the formation of the new government in November
the total number of women parliamentarians increased to 20.
Sources:
- Parliament (21.10.2010
22.11.2010
30.03.2011)
- www.velesanas2010.cvk.lv |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
