Citing progress in reforming Latvia’s political system and shoring up its economy, President Valdis Zatlers has backed off a threat to dismiss the Saeima if it did not fulfill certain demands.

In a March 31 speech over state radio and television, Zatlers said the points he raised in a Jan. 14 ultimatum have been addressed. One of them, approval of a constitutional amendment that would allow for the popular recall of the parliament, is to be finalized April 8, the president said.

One day after a huge Jan. 13 anti-government demonstration in the Dome Square was followed by a small riot in the Old Town district of Rīga, Zatlers issued an ultimatum to the Saeima. By March 31, it had to approve the constitutional amendment, reform the country’s election law to get rid of the so-called “locomotive problem,” and create a board to oversee Latvia’s economic development plan and the EUR 7.5 billion in loans it is getting from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and others.

“If by today the Saeima and the government had not completed the jobs I outlined,” Zatlers told the broadcast audience, according to a transcript provided by his press office, “I would start the process of dissolving the Saeima so that, in accordance with the law, we would gain a new set of representatives who would be trusted by the voters.”

According to Latvia’s constitution, the president may call for the dismissal of the parliament. A national referendum is then held and, if successful, the Saeima is considered dissolved and new elections are scheduled. However, if the referendum fails, the president has to resign and the parliament chooses a replacement.

Under the constitutional amendment supported by Zatlers, the electorate also would have the ability to call for the Saeima’s dismissal. Zatlers told the broadcast audience that on March 31 he received assurances from leading political parties that the amendment would be approved April 8.

“I understand that my Jan. 14 announcement about the possibility of dismissing the Saeima, and the assignments for the parliament and the government, was an unexpected step,” the president told the broadcast audience, “but it was the only way to steer the political process into a constructive channel.”

Zatlers noted that in addition to the promised amendment, a new government is in place headed by Prime Minister Valdis Dombrosvkis, an economic stimulas plan has been developed, and a new head of the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (Korupcijas novēršanas un apkarošanas birojs) has been approved.

However, the president also said that a number of chores remain, including approval by the Saeima of a revised budget that conforms to demands from the IMF, easing of restrictions on business operators’ access to European Union funds, approval of a social security program and continued work on reforming Latvia’s political system.

The number of persons born in Latvia who last year became legal permanent residents of the United States decreased to a level last seen five years ago, according to data recently released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

A total of 455 persons from Latvia received their “green card” during 2008. That number is comparable to the 453 who became legal permanent residents in 2003.

From 2003 through 2006, the number of Latvia-born persons becoming legal permanent residents increased every year. In 2006, a total 892 persons from Latvia got “green cards,” nearly double the 2003 figure.

Then in 2007, the number of Latvians recorded by DHS showed a sharp decline, a 36 percent drop to 568 permanent residents. Last year’s total represents a nearly 20 percent drop from the 2007 figure.

The number of Latvians earning “green cards” saw a similar rise and fall from 1999 to 2003, according to the DHS data.

In all, 6,132 persons born in Latvia have become permanent residents of the U.S. since 1999. During the same 10-year period, a total of 17,390 persons from Lithuania and 3,145 from Estonia have earned permanent resident status, according to the DHS.

More than 1.1 million persons got “green cards” last year, according to the DHS. Persons who become legal permanent residents “may live and work permanently anywhere in the United States, own property, and attend public schools, colleges, and universities,” according to a DHS Annual Flow Report. “They may also join certain branches of the Armed Forces, and apply to become U.S. citizens if they meet certain eligibility requirements.”

Five people with dual citizenship are among Latvia’s candidates for the European Parliament, according to data collected by the Central Election Commission in Rīga. The election is scheduled June 6.

The European Parliament election will be held concurrently with municipal elections, the commission has announced. All 27 member states of the European Union will be voting for seats in the European Parliament. Latvia has eight seats to fill.

Pēteris Viktors Zilgalvis and Aivars Ivars Juris Sinka are among the 13 candidates from the Civil Union (Pilsoniskā savienība) party. Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš, Liene Liepiņa and Jānis Jāzeps Dimants are among the 16 candidates offered by New Era (Jaunais laiks).

Zilgalvis, born in 1964, holds Latvian and U.S. citizenship. He lives in Belgium and works for the European Commission. Zilgalvis has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California at Los Angeles and law degree from the University of Southern California.

Sinka, born in 1960, has Latvian and British citizenship. Sinka lives in Rīga, where he is an information technology strategy consultant with the Capgemini firm. He is member of the central board of the veterans welfare group Daugavas Vanagi and a member of ELJA50. He has a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Trent Polytechnic (now known as Nottingham Trent University).

Kariņš, one of Latvia’s better known politicians, holds Latvian and U.S. citizenship. Born in 1964, he now lives in Rīga. He is a member of the Saeima and serves on the board of New Era. Kariņš has a doctorate in linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Liepiņa, born in 1957, has Latvian and Swedish citizenship. She is a homemaker living in the Cēsis region. Liepiņa has a degree in nursing from the Mid Sweden University in Sundsvall and a degree in social work from the Attīstība Higher School of Social Work and Social Pedagogics in Latvia.

Dimants, born in 1937, is a gynecologist in private practice in Minnesota. He has Latvian and U.S. citizenship and is an active member of the Latvian community in the Twin Cities. He earned his medical degree in 1962 from Iowa State University.

So far, eight parties have submitted candidate lists. Besides New Era and the Civil Union, parties vying for seats in the European Parliament election are For Fatherland and Freedom / LNNK (Tēvzemei un Brīvībai / LNNK), the Union of Greens and Farmers (Zaļo un Zemnieku savienība), the Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party (Latvijas Sociāldemokrātiskā strādnieku partija), the Society for Political Change (Sabiedrība citai politikai), the People’s Party (Tautas partija) and For the Homeland! (Par dzimteni!).

The deadline to submit candidate lists is April 2.