Saeima Public Administration and Local Government Committee today decided to submit to Saeima for consideration amendments to the Law on the Status of Local Government Councilors, which envisages giving the Central Election Commission the right to revoke mandates of local government deputies if they do not attend local government’s meetings for a prolonged period of time.
The law already stipulates that a local government may revoke the mandate of a councilor who has failed to attend council meetings at least four times in a row without justification, Saeima Press Service informed LETA.
The purpose of the amendments is to give the Central Election Commission, an institution that is not directly connected to any municipality, the right to revoke local government members’ mandates. The amendments suggest that the Central Election Commission will have the right to revoke the mandate of a municipal deputy if he or she does not attend more than half of the local government’s meetings, without justification, within three months.
Saeima will also have to consider amendments to the Law on Local Governments, which provide that at least one-fifth of a local government members will be able to convene a regular meeting of the council if the council is unable to perform its duties. If such a meeting is not convened within a month, the municipality’s executive director will have the right to request the Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry to convene the council’s meeting.
The amendments have been proposed in the wake of recent developments at Rezekne City Council where, after financial violations were ascertained and Rezekne Mayor Aleksandrs Bartasevics was suspended, Rezekne ruling party Together for Latvia has been sabotaging the council’s meetings in order to force dissolution of the council and holding new elections.
Saeima committee proposed the amendments to ensure continuity of local governments’ work and decision-making capacity in a situation where one or more deputies systematically fail to attend council meetings without justification and jeopardize performance of the municipality’s functions.
Source: BNS
(Reproduction of BNS information in mass media and other websites without written consent of BNS is prohibited.)