Latvia’s parliament has approved a pair of constitutional amendments that will allow citizens to initiate a recall of the Saeima.

The April 8 action by the Saeima fulfills one of the demands President Valdis Zatlers laid out in a Jan. 14 ultimatum to the parliament and the government. He had promised to dissolve the Saeima if his demands to reform the political system and strengthen the country’s economy were not taken, but on his self-imposed deadline of March 31 announced that most of them had been met.

Members of the Saeima voted 85-3 to approve on their third reading the amendments to articles 14 and 49 of the constitution, according to the parliament’s Web site.

Under the amendments, which will take effect with the election of the 10th Saeima, voters will have the right to initiate a recall of the parliament. At least 10 percent of eligible voters must petition for the recall. A national referendum would then be held. If two-thirds the number of voters in the previous parliamentary election participate in the referendum and if the referendum passes, then the Saeima is dissolved and new elections are ordered.

Under the current language of the constitution, only the president can initiate dismissal of the parliament. However, the president also takes a risk in doing so. After the president calls for dismissing the Saeima, a national referendum is ordered. If the referendum succeeds, the parliament is dissolved and new elections are held. But if the referendum fails, the president must step down and the Saeima picks a new head of state.

The amendments approved April 8 limit exactly when a popular recall is allowed.

It cannot be initiated sooner than a year after convening of a new parliament, nor less than a year before the Saeima’s time in office comes to a close. Since the Saeima is elected for a four-year term, that means the popular recall could take place during the second or third years.

The amendments also do not allow a popular recall within six months of the end of the president’s term in office, nor no sooner than six months since the last attempt at a popular recall.

Under the amendments, new elections must be held between one and three months after parliament is dissolved.

As before, voters are not allowed to recall individual members of the Saeima.

Zatlers had called for passage of the the constitutional amendments after a large anti-government demonstration on Jan. 13 that had demanded he dissolve the Saeima.

In August, a national referendum to force the Saeima to adopt similar amendments failed to attract enough voters to count.

The overall unemployment rate in Latvia reached 10.7 percent in March, rising 1.2 percentage points from February, the State Employment Agency (Nodarbinātības valsts aģentūrā) announced April 7.

February’s unemployment rate was 9.5 percent.

The number of unemployed workers in Latvia reached 103,731 in March, the agency reported. White collar workers were among those increasingly joining the ranks of the unemployed.

“In March the largest number of unemployed had professional (38.4 percent) and general secondary education (28.5 percent),” said Baiba Paševica, director of the State Employment Agency. “Among the jobless with higher education the greatest number are engineers, economists, teachers, lawyers and technologists.”

The Rēzekne region, often one of the hardest hit in terms of joblessness, recorded the highest unemployment rate in Latvia, 23.1 percent. Other areas with high unemployment, according to the agency, were Ludza region, 19 percent; Rēzekne city, 17.8 percent; Balvi region, 17 percent; Dobele region, 16.7 percent; Preiļi region, 16.5 percent; Krāslava region, 15.3 percent; Kuldīga region, 14.2 percent; Aizkraukle region, 13.7 percent; Jēkabpils region, 13.5 percent; Liepāja city, 13 percent; and Liepāja region, 12.9 percent.

The lowest unemployment figures in March were recorded in the Tukums region, 7.1 percent; Rīga city, 8.2 percent; Jūrmala city, 8.4 percent; Daugavpils city, 9.2 percent; Jelgava city, 9.6 percent; Ventspils region, 9.7 percent, Talsi region, 10.1 percent; Valmiera region, 10.1 percent; Ventspils city, 10.2 percent; Jelgava region, 10.3; and Limbaži region, 10.5 percent.

Of those who were without work in March, 26.5 percent were between 45 and 54 years old, 22.7 percent were 25-34 and 22.2 percent were 35-44.

In April and May 2008, the unemployment rate in Latvia bottomed out at 4.8 percent.

Latvian citizens abroad who wish to vote in the June 6 election for the European Parliament have until April 25 to apply for an absentee ballot at embassies or consulates, according to the Central Election Commission in Rīga.

Those abroad may also submit absentee ballot applications to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rīga until May 7.

No voting precincts will operate abroad on election day, said Kristīne Bērziņa, spokesperson for the Central Election Commission. Those citizens who are abroad may only vote by mail.

All 27 member states of the European Union will be voting for members of the European Parliament. Latvia will elect eight members.

In all, 17 political parties in Latvia are fielding a total of 186 candidates, according to the Central Election Commission. Parties include:

• New Era (Jaunais laiks)
• Civil Union (Pilsoniskā savienība)
• For Fatherland and Freedom / LNNK (Tēvzemei un Brīvībai / LNNK)
• Union of Greens and Farmers (Zaļo un Zemnieku savienība)
• Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party (Latvijas Sociāldemokrātiskā strādnieku partija)
• Society for Political Change (Sabiedrība citai politikai)
• People’s Party (Tautas partija)
• For the Homeland! (Par dzimteni!)
• Latvian Revival Party (Latvijas Atdzimšanas partija)
• First Party of Latvia / Latvia’s Way (Latvijas Pirmā partija / Latvijas ceļš)
• Harmony Centre (Saskaņas Centrs)
• The pan-European party Libertas.lv
• Action Party (Rīcības partija)
• For Human Rights in United Latvia (Par cilvēka tiesībām vienotā Latvijā)
• Christian Democratic Union (Kristīgi demokrātiskā savienība)
• The Liepāja-based Osipov Party (Osipova partija) led by Jevgēņijs Osipovs
• All for Latvia (Visu Latvijai).

A complete list of the 45 embassies and consulates that will accept absentee ballot applications until April 25 is available online from the Central Election Commission.

In Australia, the applications will be accepted at the honorary consulates in Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, according to a March 30 ruling by the commission. In Canada, applications should be sent to the Latvian Embasssy in Ottawa. In the United States, applications go to the embassy in Washington, D.C. In Ireland, applications may be sent to the embassy in Dublin. In the United Kingdom, applications may be mailed to the embassy in London.

Absentee ballot applications also will be accepted until May 7 by mail at the following address: LR Ārlietu ministrijas Konsulārais departaments, Elizabetes iela 57, Rīga, LV 1050, Latvia.

Municipal elections also are scheduled across Latvia on June 6, but citizens living abroad are not allowed to participate in those. Latvian citizens living in other European Union member states may vote for European Parliament candidates from those countries, but by doing so they lose the right to vote for candidates from Latvia.