On Thursday, October 21, in its second reading, the Saeima supported the draft Law on Local Government Referendums, which will determine the procedure for proposing and holding referendums.

The law provides for the determination of issues on which a local government referendum may be initiated and organised, the source of its funding, as well as the procedures by which a referendum shall be proposed and organised and the results to be announced. It is planned that the local government referendum will be organised by the election commission of the relevant local government and, if necessary, the Central Election Commission will provide its support. It is planned that the referendum will be able to be triggered on the sustainable development strategy of the local government and the decision of the city or municipality council by which the local government has proposed the construction of a public building. It is also expected that the local government referendum can be initiated for the dismissal of the council. Such a referendum will not be triggered one year after the new council meets and one year before the end of the council's term of office. It is also planned that the local government referendum will also be able to be initiated by the local government council itself, if at least two thirds of the councillors agree to it. This will enable the municipality to find out the opinion of the population on a particular issue. The local government council will not be able to hold a referendum on the dismissal of the council. The draft new law stipulates that a Citizen of Latvia and a citizen of the European Union who has reached 18 years and registered in the electoral register will have the right to initiate a local government referendum. In order to be able to initiate an issue in the municipality, residents will have to sign up for the initiation of a referendum. It is planned that it will be possible to do this in person or electronically on the portal www.latvija.lv.It will be possible to vote in person at the relevant local government polling station using the online voter register and electronically, using the voting system of the Central Election Commission. When submitting a relevant application, it will also be possible to vote at the location of the voter if the voter is unable to attend the district due to his or her state of health or other reasons. A preliminary vote is also planned in the municipal referendum. It is envisaged that it will not be possible to vote electronically on the dismissal of the local government council. The draft law stipulates that a local government referendum may be held concurrently with the saeima, European Parliament or city council elections, as well as concurrently with a national referendum. The vote in the referendum is scheduled to take place between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. The Local Government Referendum Law is necessary in order to ensure the possibility for residents to participate in the decision-making of issues in local governments and to influence the work of the city or municipality council in the interests of local residents, previously indicated by the authors of the draft law in the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development. Currently, upon the initiative of the inhabitants of the local government, the city or municipality council or the chairperson thereof, a public consultation on amending the borders of the administrative territory of the local government, as well as on the local government development programme and spatial plan may be organised for advisory purposes. In order for the Local Government Referendum Law to come into force, it must still be considered at the third reading by the State Administration and Local Government Commission responsible for the progress of the draft law and adopted by the Saeima.