Today, the Saeima approved in the first reading, that is, the transfer to the parliamentary committee, amendments from the Union of Greens and Farmers to the Law on Elections to the Saeima. The amendments provide for the possibility for citizens of the Republic of Latvia residing abroad to vote by mail for the list of the electoral district in which they were registered before emigration. Currently, all those voting abroad - by mail or in person (at embassies and consulates) - are 'registered' to Riga, meaning they can only vote for party lists in the Riga electoral district. Meanwhile, the number of parliamentary mandates allocated to the capital increases from election to election - of course, at the expense of reducing the number of mandates in other electoral districts. "The number of parliamentary seats allocated to Riga is growing not because the population of the capital is increasing, but because people are leaving the country. This includes, and primarily affects, the regions. To be specific, here are the figures: in 2002, Riga had 28 mandates, Vidzeme had 26, Zemgale was allocated 15 mandates, Latgale had 17, and Kurzeme had 14. Twenty years later, in 2022, Riga had 36 mandates, Vidzeme had 26, Latgale had 13, Zemgale had 13, and Kurzeme had 12. And this year, in the elections for the 15th Saeima, Riga will have 38 deputies, Vidzeme will have 26, Zemgale will have 13, Latgale will have 12, and Kurzeme will have 11. As we can see, today the parliament is already composed of 40 percent Riga residents. This is hardly right or fair. If this continues, in another 4-8 years, that is, after two parliamentary terms, more than half of the representatives of the people will be from Riga! Approximately 188,000 citizens of Latvia with voting rights permanently reside outside the country. All of them are 'registered' to the Riga electoral district. The essence of the amendment prepared by the Union of Greens and Farmers faction is that those voting by mail could choose the electoral district based on their last declared place of residence in Latvia. Firstly, this allows our compatriots to vote 'with emotion' - they remember their region, know the candidates better, and their voting will be more meaningful. Secondly, probably most of our compatriots still do not give up hope of returning to their homeland someday, and voting 'for their small homeland', that is, for their native region, maintains a connection with the country and will certainly contribute to their return home," explains Oleg Burov, head of the Saeima's State Administration and Local Government Committee. This committee will consider the proposed amendments.
