Constitutional Assembly of Latvia

Constitutional Assembly of Latvia (Latvian: Satversmes Sapulce) was Latvia's first elected legislative body. It's main task was creating the constitution of Latvia - Satversme, which is still in effect to this day. The speaker of Assembly was Jānis Čakste, who later became the first president of Latvia. The Assembly functioned until November 7, 1922.

Electing the Constitutional Assembly

Latvia’s right to self-determination was implemented in April 1920, when the people of Latvia gave their mandate to the Constituent Assembly chosen by universal, equal, direct and proportional elections.

Elections were held on April 17 and 18, 1920, and 84.9 % of those who had suffrage (677, 084 people) voted. There were 57 candidate lists covering 5 constituencies, and 16 of the lists won seats in the Assembly. One hundred fifty members, including 5 women, were elected altogether. The most seats in Assembly received LSDSP (57 seats)), LZS (26 seats) and Latgales Zemnieku partija (17 seats). Rest of the seats went to German Party of Latvia, Democratic union, Polish Party of Latvia and Worker's Party.

The first meeting of the Assembly took place on may 1st, 1920, in Riga, House of Knights (today, House of Saeima). The Constitutional Assembly drafted the basic law of the state — the Satversme — as well as other laws. It adopted a law on agrarian reform, a law on the election of the Saeima (Parliament), and other laws. The Constitutional Assembly had 21 standing committees. It held 213 plenary sessions and adopted 205 laws and 291 regulations having the force of law.

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  Cosntitutional Assebly of Latvia, with it's speaker, Jānis Čakste in the center.

External links

• http://helios-web.saeima.lv/Informacija_eng/likumdeveju_vesture.html