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On Thursday, 10 April, the Saeima adopted in the final reading amendments to the Law on National Referendums, Initiation of Laws and European Citizens’ Initiative, thus simplifying the participation of soldiers and national guards serving on international missions in national referendums, as well as signature collection for initiation of a national referendum or a law. The voting procedure in the Saeima and the European Parliament elections has already been simplified. 

The amendments to the Law provide that soldiers and national guards will have the possibility to sign for initiation of a national referendum or a law, as well as participate in a national referendum in their place of deployment on an international mission. 

Collection of signatures in the place of deployment on an international mission for soldiers and national guards will be organised in the same way as their voting in the Saeima elections. Instead of opening special polling stations in the places of deployment for collection of signatures and participation in a national referendum, the Central Election Commission will ensure the delivery of the lists of voters, ballot papers and other materials to the places of deployment. A person authorised by the commander of the national military contingent will be in charge of the collection of signatures or the national referendum in the place of deployment.

After the end of the signature collection, a person authorised by the commander of the national military contingent will have to immediately send the ballot papers to the Joint Headquarters of the National Armed Forces, from where they will be forwarded to the Central Election Commission.

The authors of the amendments emphasise that so far collection of signatures for participants of international missions has been inefficient because large quantities of soldiers’ passports had to be taken to the nearest diplomatic representative office of Latvia, and related formalities kept soldiers from performing their military duties.

Voting by mail will also remain an option.

Saeima Press Service