Today, on March 6, in the Plenary Session of the Supreme Court, the judges elected the senator Valda Eilande as the member of the Central Elections Commission (CEC). She was the only candidate who was nominated to this position.

The judges were asked to submit to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court the proposals regarding the candidates to the position of a member of the Central Elections Commission. The only proposal was received from the Chairman of the Chamber of Civil Cases, the Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Gunars Aigars.

Senator Valda Eilande agreed to her nomination and informed briefly the colleagues on the duties to be fulfilled by the members of the Central Elections Commission. The chairman of the Central Elections Commission elected by the Saeima (Parliament), his deputy and the secretary work independently, the other members of the commission attend meetings and work upon the request of the chairman. Most of the work is done before elections or referendums, preparing instructions and decisions related to the course of elections, the course of elections is analyzed and various polls are organized after the elections. The Central Elections Commission has no legislative power, however it participates in working out and discussing various draft laws connected with elections. V. Eilande noted that other members of the Central Elections Commission are nominated by the parties and confirmed by the Saeima. The member elected by the Supreme Court is politically neutral. V. Eilande has been elected as the member of the CEC for several times since 1994.

According to the law “On the Central Elections Commission”, not later than six months after it convenes, the Saeima forms the Central Elections Commission as an independently functioning institution. CEC consists of nine members. The chairman and seven members of the Elections Commission are elected by the Saeima, and one member – from among judges – in the Plenary Session of the Supreme Court. The Presidium of the 9th Saeima has stated that candidates to the positions of the chairman and members of the commission had to be nominated till March 1, 2007. Therefore the Plenary Session of the Supreme Court will elect a CEC member from among the judges.

According to Article 19 of the law “On the Central Elections Commission”, a member of the CEC submits proposals and questions to be reviewed in the meetings of the commission, participates in working out and adoption of instructions before elections and referendums, participates in discussions on these issues, inspects the work of other elections commission upon his/her own initiative or upon an assignment of the chairman, and informs the Central Elections Commission on the results of the inspection, speaks to the representatives of establishments and institutions and citizens about issues related to preparation and course of elections, referendums and law initiations.
 

 

Information prepared by Division of Communications of the Supreme Court

Author: Rasma Zvejniece, Head of the Division of Communications of the Supreme Court

E-mail: rasma.zvejniece@at.gov.lv, telephone: 7020396, 28652211