Constitutional Assembly of Latvia
Constitutional Assembly of Latvia (Latvian: Satversmes Sapulce) was Latvia's first elected legislative body. Its 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 17 and 18 April 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 successful parties were the LSDSP (57 seats), LZS (26 seats) and Latgales Zemnieku partija (17 seats). The remainder of the seats went to German Parties in Latvia, Democrats Union, Polish Party of Latvia and the Worker's Party among others.
The first meeting of the Assembly took place on May 1st, 1920, at Riga, in the House of the Livonian Noble Corporation. 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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Constitutional Assembly of Latvia, with its speaker, Jānis Čakste in the center.