## Less than Two Months Left to Work So, the representatives of the people did not get a full summer vacation. However, they would not have been able to relax without the Saeima sessions, as they participated in endless pre-election events. In any case, the autumn session of parliament has begun, which will last until the end of October, and on November 3, the Saeima of the new 15th convocation will hold its first meeting, which citizens of Latvia will elect on October 3! Thus, the deputies of the current convocation have only one month left to work before the elections. It is clear that they will try to make the most of it, bombarding the Saeima with their pre-election initiatives. ## Who Should Elect the President? At the upcoming plenary session, initiatives for transitioning to direct popular elections for the president will be considered in the first reading (transfer to committee). It should be noted that such a proposal has already become a "standard pre-election dish" - the relevant amendments to the Satversme have been introduced by deputies in practically every Saeima for the last 20 years. Moreover, most often — on the eve of the next elections. This time, it is proposed not only to switch to direct closed voting for the head of state but also to amend other articles of the Constitution related to the possible removal of the president. If currently, the Saeima can remove the president and elect another with a two-thirds majority, the proposed amendment stipulates that the Saeima can only initiate the president's removal from office. After that, a referendum takes place, and the president is considered dismissed if more than half of the participants in the referendum vote for the removal. Conversely, if more than half are against, then the Saeima is considered dismissed, and extraordinary elections are called. We dare to assume that the amendments will most likely be sent to the Saeima committee, where they will be buried. This was the case four years ago when the "green farmers" presented a similar project - the majority of deputies supported transferring the initiative to the committee, and the document simply went into the long drawer. ## Not Extortionists, but Helpers It is likely that amendments to the Criminal Code will also be sent to the Saeima committee to exempt so-called "white hackers" from criminal liability - that is, those computer specialists who uncovered vulnerabilities in certain information databases. The draft law stipulates that a person who identifies a vulnerability in an automated data processing system and reports it to the responsible person for the system is exempt from criminal liability for unauthorized access to the automated data processing system, provided that the person's actions did not harm legally protected interests, do not constitute another crime, and the person does not make threats regarding the abuse of the discovered vulnerability. At the same time, it is proposed to exempt from criminal liability for extortion a person who identified a vulnerability, reported it to the responsible person for the system, and requested reasonable compensation for their work, provided that the aforementioned conditions regarding no harm, absence of another criminal act, and threats are met. The recent scandal involving the theft of personal data from CSDD databases prompted opposition deputies to draft such amendments - it turned out that even before the theft, a "white hacker" had warned about the discovery of a vulnerability in the databases and offered his help for a reward... He was ultimately prosecuted for extortion. ## They Slept Through the Storm on Air There will be a rather interesting "flight analysis" in the Saeima Human Rights Committee. Deputies decided to discuss the unsatisfactory performance of Latvian Radio during the hurricane - the station's management did not change the broadcasting program and thus failed to inform the population about the upcoming storm and its consequences. It cannot be ruled out that even before the committee meeting, the LSM management will dismiss the editor-in-chief Anita Brauna (née Smolenska). Already this Thursday, at the plenary session, deputies will also consider opposition amendments regarding the return of overpaid taxes and when Latvians purchase medicines and medical devices that are not included in the lists reimbursed by the state. It must be acknowledged that this is a completely logical and fair initiative. ## Once Resignation, Twice Resignation... It is noteworthy that at the very first plenary session of the autumn session, deputies will consider the opposition's demand for a vote of no confidence in the Minister of the Interior. One of the reasons for the opposition's demarche is Dombrova's attempt to close the only official crossing point on the Latvian-Belarusian border. The opposition is also demanding the resignation of the Minister of Communications, Richard Kozlovskis, who has accumulated complaints regarding the situation around airBaltic and the still unclear situation surrounding the project of the century, Rail Baltica. The opposition has also sent a request to Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs regarding the unsatisfactory performance of civil defense systems during the recent hurricane. If no additional meetings are scheduled, only five plenary sessions will be held in parliament before the elections.
