The Saeima ¹ has adopted and
the President has proclaimed the following law:

Law on the Election of the President

Section 1. A citizen of Latvia who on the election day has attained 40 years of age and who has not acquired the citizenship of another country may be elected President, unless any of the restrictions referred to in Section 3 of this Law apply to him or her.

Section 2. A citizen of Latvia with an impeccable reputation may be elected President.

Section 3. The following person may not be elected President:

1) who has been declared as a person with limited capacity to act in accordance with the procedures laid down in law;

2) who is serving a sentence in a place of deprivation of liberty;

3) who has been convicted of an intentional criminal offence, except for a person who has been exonerated or whose criminal record has been extinguished or set aside;

4) who, at the time of committing the offence provided for in the Criminal Law, was in a state of mental incapacity, a state of diminished mental capacity or also after committing the criminal offence has become ill with a mental illness which has removed the ability to understand his or her actions or to control them and to whom in relation to this a compulsory measure of a medical nature has been applied or the case has been terminated without the application of such a compulsory measure;

5) who is or has been in a staff position in the State security services, intelligence or counter-intelligence services of the USSR, the Latvian SSR or of foreign countries;

6) who after 13 January 1991 has worked in the CPSU (LCP), the International Front of the Working People of the Latvian SSR, the United Work Collective Council, the Organisation of War and Labour Veterans or the All-Latvia Salvation of Society Committee or its regional committees;

7) who has been punished with a prohibition to stand as a candidate in the Saeima, European Parliament, city council and municipality council elections, except for the person who has been exonerated or whose criminal record has been extinguished or set aside.

[4 December 2008; 25 October 2018]

Section 4. The nominations for the position of the President shall be submitted to the Presidium of the Saeima in writing not earlier than 60 days and not later than 55 days prior to the end of the term of office of the current President.

[7 March 2019]

Section 5. The following documents shall be appended to the submission of a member of the Saeima regarding the candidate for the office of the President:

1) a declaration signed by the candidate that he or she conforms to the requirements of Section 1 of this Law and the restrictions referred to in Section 3 of this Law do not apply to him or her;

2) information signed by the candidate:

a) the given name, surname, year of birth, gender of the candidate and, if the candidate wishes - also nationality, family status;

b) the personal identity number;

c) the place of residence (city or municipality and populated area);

d) places of employment and positions held (including positions in associations, foundations, trade unions, trade union confederations, political parties, alliances of political parties, and religious organisations) or - if there is no place of employment - occupation, status;

e) from which educational institutions he or she has graduated and in which year, what education level and in what speciality has been acquired;

f) self-assessment of the proficiency in the Latvian language;

g) whether he or she has or has not collaborated with the State security services, intelligence or counter-intelligence services of the USSR or Latvian SSR as a non-staff employee of these services, an agent, a resident, or a safehouse keeper;

h) immovable properties (the type and location thereof) in the ownership or possession of the candidate (also in relation to the established guardianship or trusteeship); vehicles owned by the candidate subject to registration in State authorities (land, water, and air vehicles - the type thereof, year of construction and registration); immovable properties (the type and location thereof) which are leased by the candidate to other persons or which are leased from other persons; the amount of debt of the candidate if the value of debt in each case individually or together exceeds 20 minimum monthly salaries stipulated by the government; the amount of loans issued by the candidate if the value of loans in each case individually or together exceeds 20 minimum monthly salaries stipulated by the government; shares (stocks, co-operative shares) owned by the candidate, specifying the number and amount of shares; cash savings of the candidate if the amount thereof exceeds EUR 700, non-cash savings and non-cash payment card account balance if the amount thereof exceeds EUR 700 (specifying the name of each non-cash savings holder or non-cash payment card issuer); securities owned by the candidate in division according to their types [specifying the type, number, amount (in nominal value) thereof and the name of the legal person - the issuer of securities, while only the number shall be indicated in relation to privatisation and compensation certificates].

[4 December 2008; 12 September 2013]

Section 6. The Presidium of the Saeima shall, for the regular election of the President, convene the sitting of the Saeima not earlier than 40 days and not later than 30 days prior to the end of the term of office of the current President.

Section 7. The Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee of the Saeima shall verify whether the nominations comply with the provisions of the law. The Saeima shall decide on rejection of nominations.

Section 8. Candidates shall be entered in the ballot paper in the sequence of their application. The President shall be elected by voting with ballot papers in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Rules of Procedure of the Saeima. The members of the Saeima shall insert the ballot paper themselves in the ballot box which is located in the Saeima Chamber.

[25 October 2018; 7 March 2019]

Section 9. A new election shall be organised if none of the candidates has obtained the votes necessary for election in the last round of the election of the President. Nominations for the new election of the President shall be submitted not later than five days following the day of the last round of the election.

Section 10. (1) The Presidium of the Saeima shall, for the new election of the President, convene the sitting of the Saeima not earlier than 10 days and not later than 15 days following the day of the last round of the election.

(2) If none of the candidates has obtained the votes necessary for election also in the last round of the new election, a new election shall be organised repeatedly in accordance with the conditions of Sections 9 and 10 of this Law.

Section 11. The Presidium of the Saeima shall, taking into account the term of office of the current President, determine the day on which the newly-elected President shall give the solemn oath.

Section 12. (1) The extraordinary election of the President shall take place if the current President:

1) resigns from office;

2) dies;

3) is removed from office.

(2) If the extraordinary election of the President is organised, the Presidium of the Saeima shall determine the term for the submission of nominations and the day of the election of the President.

Section 13. (1) If due to the end of the term of office of the Saeima it is not possible to comply with the terms for the nomination of candidates and election of the President, the President shall be elected by the newly-elected Saeima.

(2) In such case the nominations for the position of the President shall be submitted to the Presidium of the Saeima not earlier than 10 days and not later than 15 days following the first day of office of the newly-elected Saeima. The Presidium of the Saeima shall, for the election of the President, convene the sitting of the Saeima not earlier than 20 days and not later than 30 days following the first day of office of the newly-elected Saeima.

Section 14. A new election of the President shall be organised if the newly-elected President refuses to give the solemn oath on the day selected by the Presidium of the Saeima. The term for the submission of nominations and the day of the election of the President shall be determined by the Presidium of the Saeima.

The Law shall come into force on the day following its proclamation.

The Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 3 May 2007.

President V. Vīķe-Freiberga

Rīga, 17 May 2007

¹ The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia

Translation © 2021 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)