Latvia’s new center-right Cabinet of Ministers, led by incumbent Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis of the Vienotība (Unity) bloc, has been confirmed by the Saeima.

In a special meeting Nov. 3, the parliament approved the coalition government on a 63-35 vote. The centrist Vienotība will control seven ministerial portfolios, while the conservative Zaļo un Zemnieku savienība (Union of Greens and Farmers, or ZZS) will have six.

Voting for the new government were lawmakers from Vienotība and ZZS, who together control 55 seats in the 100-member Saeima, as well as eight deputies from the nationalist bloc, Visu Latvijai! – Tēvzemei un Brīvībai/LNNK. The nationalists backed the new government despite being shut out of it after being assured that they would be part of the Dombrovskis coalition.

Opposing the government were the center-left Saskaņas Centrs (Harmony Centre) and the conservative Par labu Latviju! (For a Good Latvia!) bloc. In early talks about the makeup of the new government, Saskaņas Centrs would have been included in a four-party coalition. However, those negotiations broke down before seeing any progress after Vienotība asked the pro-Russian party to acknowledge the Soviet occupation of Latvia and to guarantee the status of the Latvian language.

The number of persons from Latvia earning permanent resident status in Canada increased in 2009, but remains significantly lower than the figure recorded a decade ago, according to government statistics.

A total of 86 persons from Latvia became permanent residents of Canada last year, up from 66 in 2008, according to data compiled by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and released in September.

Under Canadian law, permanent residents must live in the country for at least two years within a five-year period. Otherwise, they risk losing their status. While permanent residents share many of the same rights as Canadian citizens, they may not vote in elections.

Ten years ago, 230 persons from Latvia became permanent residents, increasing to 286 in 2001.

The number steadily declined through 2006, when just 73 new permanent residents were recorded. However, the number jumped to 113 in 2007.

In the past decade, a total of 1,491 persons from Latvia have become permanent residents of Canada, according to the data. That is more than from Lithuania, which contributed 1,355 new permanent residents during the same period, or Estonia, with contributed just 403.

Last year, more than 250,000 persons from around the world became new permanent residents of Canada. China, the Philippines and India are the top three source countries, according to the data.

Final results of the Oct. 2 parliamentary election—including the list of which specific candidates will serve in the 10th Saeima—are expected to be confirmed Oct. 19 by the Central Election Commission in Rīga.

The commission, which had been waiting for final election results from polling stations in Boston, Mass., and São Paulo, Brazil, on Oct. 18 released a breakdown of who is expected to be in the 10th Saeima.

While it was clear by late on Oct. 2 which parties had won in the election, who specifically got into the parliament could not be known until all ballots were reviewed by hand. Under Latvia’s election process, voters cast ballots for just one party, but have the option of promoting or demoting specific candidates on the party’s list.

In all, 13 parties fielded more than 1,200 candidates for the 100-seat Saeima. However, only five earned at least 5 percent of the vote, the cut-off point that determines which parties will be represented in the parliament.

The center-right coalition Vienotība (Unity) received the most votes from the 1,013 polling stations set up around Latvia and abroad. Vienotība secured 33 seats in the Saeima. Coming in second was the center-left and pro-Russian Saskaņas Centrs (Harmony Centre), which earned 29 seats. Third, with 22 seats, was the conservative Union of Greens and Farmers (Zaļo un Zemnieku savienība). Fourth, with 8 seats, was the conservative coalition For a Good Latvia! (Par labu Latviju!). Fifth, also with 8 seats, was the nationalist coalition Visu Latvijai! – Tēvzemei un brīvība/LNNK (All for Latvia! – For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK).

In alphabetical order, the candidates elected from each party (with the election district from which they were elected shown in parentheses), are:

Vienotība

1. Arvils Ašeradens (Vidzeme)
2. Dzintars Ābiķis (Vidzeme)
3. Solvita Āboltiņa (Kurzeme)
4. Silva Bendrāte (Kurzeme)
5. Andris Buiķis (Rīga)
6. Ingrīda Circene (Kurzeme)
7. Ingmārs Čaklais (Vidzeme)
8. Ilma Čepāne (Vidzeme)
9. Lolita Čigāne (Rīga)
10. Ints Dālderis (Rīga)
11. Valdis Dombrovskis (Vidzeme)
12. Ina Druviete (Vidzeme)
13. Sarmīte Ēlerte (Zemgale)
14. Guntars Galvanovskis (Vidzeme)
15. Dzintra Hirša (Vidzeme)
16. Ojārs Ēriks Kalniņš (Rīga)
17. Artis Kampars (Zemgale)
18. Rasma Kārkliņa (Rīga)
19. Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis (Rīga)
20. Janīna Kursīte-Pakule (Kurzeme)
21. Ainars Latkovskis (Vidzeme)
22. Atis Lejiņš (Zemgale)
23. Imants Viesturs Lieģis (Rīga)
24. Aleksejs Loskutovs (Latgale)
25. Klāvs Olšteins (Zemgale)
26. Artis Pabriks (Vidzeme)
27. Inguna Rībena (Rīga)
28. Edvards Smiltēns (Vidzeme)
29. Kārlis Šadurskis (Latgale)
30. Aigars Štokenbergs (Zemgale)
31. Andris Vilks (Vidzeme)
32. Ilze Viņķele (Rīga)
33. Dzintars Zaķis (Zemgale)

Saskaņas Centrs

1. Valērijs Agešins (Kurzeme)
2. Jānis Ādamsons (Vidzeme)
3. Aleksejs Burunovs (Latgale)
4. Boriss Cilevičs (Rīga)
5. Sergejs Dolgopolovs (Rīga)
6. Sergejs Fjodorovs (Latgale)
7. Valentīns Grigorjevs (Zemgale)
8. Aleksejs Holostovs (Rīga)
9. Aleksandrs Jakimovs (Latgale)
10. Nikolajs Kabanovs (Rīga)
11. Andrejs Klementjevs (Rīga)
12. Ivans Klementjevs (Vidzeme)
13. Valērijs Kravcovs (Kurzeme)
14. Igors Meļņikovs (Rīga)
15. Sergejs Mirskis (Rīga)
16. Vladimirs Nikonovs (Latgale)
17. Ņikita Ņikiforovs (Rīga)
18. Vitālijs Orlovs (Zemgale)
19. Igors Pimenovs (Rīga)
20. Ivans Ribakovs (Latgale)
21. Dmitrijs Rodionovs (Latgale)
22. Artūrs Rubiks (Rīga)
23. Raimonds Rubiks (Latgale)
24. Aleksandrs Sakovskis (Vidzeme)
25. Juris Silovs (Vidzeme)
26. Jānis Tutins (Latgale)
27. Jānis Urbanovičs (Rīga)
28. Mihails Zemļinskis (Rīga)
29. Igors Zujevs (Rīga)

Zaļo un Zemnieku savienība

1. Uldis Augulis (Zemgale)
2. Aija Barča (Kurzeme)
3. Andris Bērziņš (Vidzeme)
4. Andris Bērziņš (Zemgale)
5. Augusts Brigmanis (Zemgale)
6. Gundars Daudze (Kurzeme)
7. Aivars Dronka (Zemgale)
8. Jānis Dūklavs (Vidzeme)
9. Rihards Eigims (Latgale)
10. Iveta Grigule (Vidzeme)
11. Jānis Klaužs (Latgale)
12. Armands Krauze (Vidzeme)
13. Ingmārs Līdaka (Vidzeme)
14. Dace Reinika (Zemgale)
15. Dana Reizniece (Kurzeme)
16. Kārlis Seržants (Rīga)
17. Vitauts Staņa (Vidzeme)
18. Jānis Strazdiņš (Rīga)
19. Staņislavs Šķesters (Latgale)
20. Raimonds Vējonis (Rīga)
21. Jānis Vucāns (Kurzeme)
22. Oskars Zīds (Kurzeme)

Par labu Latviju!

1. Imants Jānis Bekešs (Latgale)
2. Māris Kučinskis (Vidzeme)
3. Rita Strode (Latgale)
4. Andris Šķēle (Zemgale)
5. Inese Šlesere (Rīga)
6. Ainārs Šlesers (Rīga)
7. Guntis Ulmanis (Vidzeme)
8. Edgars Zalāns (Kurzeme)

Visu Latvijai! – Tēvzemei un Brīvībai/LNNK

1. Gaidis Bērziņš (Kurzeme)
2. Einārs Cilinskis (Rīga)
3. Jānis Dombrava (Vidzeme)
4. Raivis Dzintars (Vidzeme)
5. Inese Laizāne (Latgale)
6. Visvaldis Lācis (Vidzeme)
7. Imants Parādnieks (Zemgale)
8. Dzintars Rasnačs (Rīga)