Riga City Council Election Report
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RESULTS OF THE EXTRAORDINARY ELECTIONS TO THE RIGA CITY COUNCIL August 29, was the official date of the extraordinary elections to the Riga City On February 13, 2020, the Parliament Council, where the elligable inhabitants of Riga could choose one of the 15 adopted the Law on Dissolution of the submitted lists of candidates to give their vote to. Based on the results from Riga City Council, which entered into all 156 polling stations, the joined list of Development/For! and the force on February 25 after Progressives had a clear win, gathering 26.16% of the votes in that way promulgation by the President of breaking the long lasting pro-russian party Harmony being in power in the Latvia Egils Levits. The election, Riga City Council. originally scheduled for April 25, was first put off until June 6, but due to the state of emergency declared in Latvia and the security measures eligible residents voted in the Riga City Council extraordinary introduced to prevent the spread of 40.58% elections, and this was the historically lowest turnout in the Covid-19 the election took place on municipal elections in Riga since 1997 August 29. LEADER OF THE All together, seven out of 15 lists of candidates reached the 5% threshold gaining the seat in the Council. From all the WINNING LIST elected members of the Council, only 21 members of the 26.16% previous term were elected, but 39 will be newly elected members.. s e v i s 16.89% s n e 15.24% a r i v g t o a r L P s n e n o & i h o a ! i n s T r / g g e 9.64% ī U o e e v R i F c n / t R 7.72% t n e a f a i v a n 6.52% 6.39% v o s r i r l e s l e n e y u S A s y t o m i i l R n n o t p n a t o o n a o i n r l U C a c i o o e m i v o r v t w n w t s e a e e a o s a MĀRTIŅŠ STAĶIS H N N N A D H L (DEVELOPMENT/FOR! AND THE PROGRESSIVES) Member of Parliament and a former Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Defence. Mārtiņš Staķis, the leader of the PLANNED MEMBERS OF THE NEW RIGA CITY COUNCIL winning list of candidates has already invited the representatives of the parties elected to meet on August 31 for the first official talks on the 18 Development/For! & Progressives formation of the new ruling coalition of the Riga City Council. He has noted 12 Harmony that the coalition should be formed by all parties forming the government coalition, which have been elected to 10 New Unity the Riga City Council in that way ensuring stable work and facilitating 7 National Alliance/ The Latvian difficult decision making. Association of Regions 5 Honor to Serve Rīga 60 SEATS PROGRAM 60 4 Latvian Russian Union 4 New Conservatives In their election program, the Development/For! and the Progressives promised to open the capital city to the people, to invest POTENTIAL COMPOSITION OF THE COUNCIL money in warming up the economy to Long discussions are unlikely regarding the coalition as the pro-russian deal with the Covid-19 caused parties have not received enough votes to form the coalition as before. This consequences, invest in social security will be the first time in 11 years, when the Riga City Council will not be led by and the urban environment- repairing streets, sidewalks and bridges. The the political party Harmony. party program covered the fight against corruption, promoting better COALITION (39): OPPOSITION (21): and more transparent governance, Development/For! and the Harmony ensure accessible and inclusive education, greener capital city, Progressives Honor to Serve Riga housing available to everyone, social New Unity The Latvian Russian Union security, convenient and ecological National Alliance and the Latvian movement, innovation and Association of Regions digitalization and promoting healthy The New Conservatives' living and sport..