(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The political party led by the mayor of Latvia’s capital Riga is the most popular organization in the country, according to a poll by Latvijas Fakti. 16.5 per cent of respondents would vote for the Harmony Centre (SC)—a coalition of social democratic parties—in the next legislative election.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The political party led by the mayor of Latvia’s capital Riga is the most popular organization in the country, according to a poll by Latvijas Fakti. 16.5 per cent of respondents would vote for the Harmony Centre (SC)—a coalition of social democratic parties—in the next legislative election.
The Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) is a distant second with six per cent, followed by the New Era Party (JL) with 5.1 per cent, the Civic Union (PS) with 3.5 per cent, and the People’s Party (TP) with three per cent. Support is lower for the Society for Different Politics (SCP), For Human Rights in United Latvia (PCTVL), For Fatherland and Freedom (LNNK), All For Latvia! (VL), the coalition of Latvia’s First Party (LPP) and Latvian Way (LC), and the Latvian Social Democratic Workers’ Party (LSDSP).
Latvia held a legislative election in October 2006. Final results gave the then governing coalition—encompassing the TP, the ZZS and the LPP— 51 of the 100 seats at stake. The LNNK joined a new coalition government. In November, the TP’s Aigars Kalvitis was confirmed as prime minister.
In November 2007, Kalvitis announced that he would step down after his controversial firing of Aleksejs Loskutovs, head of the Baltic nation’s anti-corruption bureau. Ivars Godmanis of the LC party was nominated and confirmed as Kalvitis’s replacement. Godmanis took office in December 2007.
Latvia was severely hit by the recent global financial crisis. In December 2008, Godmanis and his entire cabinet resigned as the country faced massive riots triggered by economic uncertainty. President Valdis Zatlers nominated Valdis Dombrovskis of the JL party to become the new prime minister. Dombrovskis took office in March 2009.
The SC, led by Riga mayor Nils Usakovs, is one of the largest opposition groups in the legislature. In the 2009 European elections, the SC got close to 20 per cent of the vote and elected two representatives to the European Parliament.
On Jan. 21, several members of the governing coalition voted against the government continuing talks to secure a special rescue loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The bill passed thanks to the support from some members of the opposition. Prime minister Dombrovskis denied that the vote reflected tensions within the ruling alliance, saying, "This is not a vote about the coalition, this is a vote about the international loan programme, which has won majority support in parliament."
A legislative election is expected to take place by October 2010.
Polling Data
Which party would you vote for in the next legislative election?
|
Harmony Centre (SC) |
16.5% |
|
Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) |
6.0% |
|
New Era Party (JL) |
5.1% |
|
Civic Union (PS) |
3.5% |
|
People’s Party (TP) |
3.0% |
|
Society for Different Politics (SCP) |
2.7% |
|
For Human Rights in United Latvia (PCTVL) |
2.7% |
|
For Fatherland and Freedom (LNNK) |
2.2% |
|
All For Latvia! (VL) |
2.0%, |
|
Latvia’s First Party (LPP) / Latvian Way (LC) |
1.9% |
|
Latvian Social Democratic Workers’ Party (LSDSP) |
0.6% |
Source: Latvijas Fakti
Methodology: Interviews with 1,000 Latvian adults, conducted in December 2009. No margin of error was provided.
