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→Government and Society of Latvia
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==Government and Society of Latvia== | ==Government and Society of Latvia== | ||
*Constitutional framework | |||
The Latvian constitution of 1922 provided for a republic with a president and a unicameral parliament, the Saeima. From 1940 to 1991 Latvia was a republic of the Soviet Union. On Aug. 21, 1991, the Latvian government declared independence, which the Soviet Union recognized shortly thereafter, and the 1922 constitution was restored. Latvia has a unitary form of government. The head of state is the president, who is elected by the Saiema for a four-year term (with a maximum of two consecutive terms) and who plays a largely ceremonial role. The government is headed by a prime minister, who appoints officials of the cabinet and is responsible to the Saiema. The Saiema consists of 100 members, who are elected to four-year terms. | |||
*Local government | |||
Latvia is divided into 26 self-governed rajons (districts). Outside of this structure are seven major cities that are designated republican cities and have their own governments. The districts are further organized into pilsétas (towns), pagasts (rural municipalities), and novads (amalgamated towns and rural municipalities). Each of these local administrative units has its own governing body (a council elected by its citizens). Because the local administrative units are so numerous, many of them lack sufficient staffing and funds, and the Latvian government has attempted to consolidate the country’s administrative structure. | |||
*Justice | |||
Latvia’s judicial system includes district courts, regional courts, and a Supreme Court. Supreme Court justices serve life terms, and judges in the lower courts serve two-year terms. The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia was established in 1994 and began sittings in 1996. Its jurisdiction extends to areas such as ensuring the constitutionality of proposed legislation and of international agreements and ensuring that national laws are in compliance with international agreements. Justices of the constitutional court serve 10-year terms and are confirmed by the Saeima. | |||
*Political process | |||
Suffrage is universal for all Latvian citizens aged 18 and older. However, as part of the government’s attempts to preserve and increase the dominance of Latvian culture in the face of the country’s large non-ethnic Latvian population, those wishing to become citizens are required to pass a Latvian language test. Until the late 1980s, when several prodemocracy groups united as the Popular Front of Latvia, the Communist Party of Latvia (Latvijas Komunistu Partija; LKP), like its counterparts in the other republics of the Soviet Union, was the only source of political power, under the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The party was dominated by non-Latvians (mainly Russians and other Slavs) and by Russified Latvians who had lived in Russia for large parts of their lives. The power of the Communist Party began to weaken by the late 1980s, and in 1990 Latvia adopted a multiparty system. The Communist Party was outlawed in 1991, and many new and revived parties developed under the Popular Front. | |||
The legacy of the LKP was widespread distrust of large-scale centralized political parties. Thus, the political landscape in Latvia after independence was complex. The Latvian National Independence Movement, founded in 1988, garnered a measure of popular support, but there were many other parties similarly intent on broadening their membership. Parties espousing liberal philosophies, environmental principles, or particular interests, such as those of the growing number of private farmers, were part of the fast-changing political scene. | |||
*Education | |||
General literacy was achieved in Latvia in the 1890s. Education is free and compulsory until age 16. A 1998 education law ensured that a certain amount of instruction be provided in the Latvian language in the country’s minority schools. However, state financing is provided for minority schools that teach classes in Belarusian, Estonian, Hebrew, Lithuanian, Polish, Romany, Russian, and Ukrainian, to preserve each minority’s heritage and culture. Notable institutions of higher learning include the University of Latvia (1919), the Latvia University of Agriculture (1939), and Riga Technical University (1990). The Stockholm School of Economics in Riga opened in 1994. The Latvian Academy of Sciences (1946) in Riga is one of the top research institutes in the country. | |||
==Culture Life of Latvia== | ==Culture Life of Latvia== | ||
==History of Latvia== | ==History of Latvia== | ||