The Saeima on Thursday passed in the final reading amendments to the Law on Administrative Territories and Populated Areas, dropping the plan to merge Latvia’s large cities with adjacent municipalities.
The provisions that have now been dropped from the law envisaged merging the local governments of Daugavpils, Jelgava, Liepaja, Rezekne and Ventspils with those of adjacent municipalities from 2029.
The decision mans that the aforementioned cities and the adjacent municipalities of Augsdaugava, Jelgava, Dienvidkurzeme, Rezekne and Ventspils will remain as autonomous municipalities also after 2029.
The draft amendments were proposed by the parliamentary groups of the Union of Greens and Farmers and United List.
Although the Saeima Public Administration and Local Governments Committee earlier rejected the proposal, the Saeima on Thursday adopted it with an overwhelming majority of votes.
However, the Saeima rejected the proposals to reinstate municipalities of Carnikava, Babite, Kandava, Ikskile, Ilukste and Ozolnieki, as well as the proposal to create the municipality of Ziemelkurzeme. The Saeima also rejected a proposal to incorporate Garkalne parish into Adazi Municipality.
Source: BNS
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