July 15, 2010
The political party Harmony Centre (Saskaņas centrs), which some observers say will fare well in the upcoming Latvian parliamentary election, has become the first party to file its list of candidates, according to the Central Election Commission in Rīga.
Harmony Centre has put forward 115 candidates—the maximum allowed—in all five election districts (Rīga, Vidzeme, Latgale, Zemgale and Kurzeme), commission spokesperson Kristīne Bērziņa said in a press release. The list was submitted July 14, the day filing for election opened.
The Russian-oriented Harmony Centre bills itself as a center-left party. Its leader, Nils Ušakovs, is mayor of Rīga.
The party’s list of candidates, which still has to be reviewed and approved by the election commission, includes 96 men and 19 women. Fifteen of the candidates are incumbents.
In the Rīga district, Harmony Centre’s list is led by the party’s candidate for prime minister, Jānis Urbanovičs, who is chairman of the party’s fraction in the current Saeima. Second and third on the list are Sergejs Dolgopolovs, head of the Rīga city development committee, and Andrejs Klementjevs, a current member of the Saeima, according to a Harmony Centre press release.
Political parties have until Aug. 3 to submit their candidate lists to the Central Election Commission.
The election for the 10th Saeima is scheduled Oct. 2.
Andris Straumanis is editor of Latvians Online.
