2006 Latvian parliamentary election

The election shifted the Saeima's composition (above) slightly further to the right, with the four-party right-wing coalition remaining in place.

Parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on 7 October 2006. The governing coalition, led by Prime Minister Aigars Kalvītis and his People's Party, won the election. Kalvitis's government thus became the first to be re-elected since Latvia had regained independence in 1991.

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
People's Party	177,481	19.7	23	+3
Union of Greens and Farmers	151,595	16.8	18	+6
New Era Party	148,602	16.5	18	–8
Harmony Centre	130,887	14.5	17	New
Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way	77,869	8.6	10	0
For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK	62,989	7.0	8	+1
For Human Rights in United Latvia	54,684	6.1	6	–19
Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party	31,728	3.5	0	0
Motherland	18,860	2.1	0	New
All For Latvia!	13,469	1.5	0	New
New Democrats	11,505	1.3	0	New
Pensioners and Seniors Party	7,175	0.8	0	New
Mara's Land	4,400	0.5	0	0
Euroskeptic Party	3,365	0.4	0	New
Our Land Party	2,065	0.2	0	New
Social Fairness Party	1,575	0.2	0	New
National Power Union	1,172	0.1	0	New
Latvian's Latvia National Political Defence Organisation	1,130	0.1	0	New
Fatherland Union	1,114	0.1	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	7,311	–	–	–
Total	908,976	100	100	0
Registered voters/turnout	1,490,636	61.0	–	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Conduct

The OSCE/ODIHR Limited Election Observation Mission found that "despite the ongoing naturalization process, the fact that a significant percentage of the adult population of Latvia does not enjoy voting rights represents a continuing democratic deficit". Its recommendations included:

• allowing independent candidates to stand in elections;
• giving consideration to granting “non-citizens” of Latvia the right to vote in municipal elections;
• allowing instructional materials, voter information and other relevant documents to be produced in both Latvian and Russian;
• clarifying applicability of the Party Financing Law to third-party activities in support of an electoral campaign or during the campaign period;
• considering terminating candidacy restrictions based on lustration provisions prior to the next Saeima elections.

MP J. Boldāns, elected from TB/LNNK, was sentenced by Latgale Regional Court to imprisonment for election fraud. J. Boldāns has appealed.

A member of "Harmony centre" J. Klementjevs and three employees of his enterprise were fined for buying votes by Zemgale Regional Court.

The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) found that The People's Party, LPP/LC, Harmony Centre, New Era and UGF had exceeded spending limits.

Aftermath

The governing coalition of the People's Party, the Union of Greens and Farmers, the New Era Party and Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way received strong support from the voters, with 69 of the 100 MPs. Although this coalition could have continued, a new governing coalition was formed by the People's Party, the Union of Greens and Farmers, Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way and For Fatherland and Freedom, ejecting the New Era Party from government.

External links

• Template:Lv icon Ratings of Latvia's political parties
• Template:En icon Central Election Commission
• Template:Lv icon The 9th Saeima election website