Legal Affairs Committee supports open election of state president

On Monday, 29 November, the majority of members of Saeima’s Legal Affairs Committee supported the initiative proposing open election of the state president by members of the parliament.

Members of To Latvia from the Heart and the Union of Greens and Farmers voted against this initiative.
 

This makes it one of the possible proposals for amendments to the Constitution to be discussed by a responsible work group. The committee decided to form such a work group to discuss amendments to the Constitution and study the possibilities of gaining the majority of votes in the Saeima.
 

The work group will include delegated representatives from all factions. It will have to provide its conclusions before the middle of March.
 

As it is known, Latvian politicians have different opinions about the possibility of electing the state president through an open vote.
 

Gaidis Bērziņš, co-chairman of the National Alliance, believes the state president should be elected through and open vote.
 

The politician invites Saeima deputies to support this order. «The closed vote for the state president, deputies’ general unwillingness to reveal their voting plans to society and explain their choice – all of it only expands the gap between society and the parliament. This is why NA proposes supporting the initiative for adoption of an open vote. Voters have the right to know how their elected representatives vote,» he says.
 

Armands Krauze, member of the Union of Greens and Farmers, says that he is against such open votes, and that each separate case requires a closed vote. He believes it is possible to influence deputies in an open vote.
 

«A closed vote ensures an objective vote based on deputies conscience and best of intentions, which no one can influence. Many public associations, organizations and companies also perform closed votes,» added Krauze.
 

Unity member Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, on the other hand, says parties have always stood in favour of the idea of electing the state president through an open vote.

BNN/LETA

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