On 18 March, President Edgars Rinkēvičs signed and submitted to the Presidium of the Saeima a draft law "Amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Saeima", along with amendments to three laws governing the selection and nomination process for the Governor of the Bank of Latvia, the Ombudsman, and the Auditor General.
"The recent process of nominating and electing the Governor of the Bank of Latvia was delayed, fragmented, and lacked transparency for the public. It became evident that the existing legal framework for candidate nomination did not provide sufficient guarantees to prevent these shortcomings. A process burdened by such structural issues does not foster public trust – neither in the process itself nor in the nominated candidates. To prevent similar situations in the selection of high-ranking state officials in the future, changes to the nomination and selection procedures are necessary. To this end, in accordance with Article 65 of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia, I take the honour of submitting for your consideration the draft law "Amendments to the Law on the Bank of Latvia", the draft law "Amendments to the Ombudsman Law", the draft law “Amendments to the State Audit Office Law”, and the draft law "Amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Saeima””, states President Edgars Rinkēvičs in his letter to the Presidium of the Saeima.
"The law sets high professional criteria for Latvia’s top politically appointed officials – the Ombudsman, the Auditor General, and the Governor of the Bank of Latvia. It is therefore essential to ensure that the political component of the nomination and evaluation process does not overshadow the assessment of professional qualifications. The ability to nominate multiple candidates for these positions increases the influence of political considerations, which in turn creates a risk of fragmentation and a risk that debates could unjustifiably cast doubt on the candidates’ professional suitability for the role," the explanatory notes accompanying the proposed legislation state.
The draft laws submitted by the President of Latvia to the Presidium of the Saeima propose that the nomination process for the Governor of the Bank of Latvia, the Ombudsman, and the Auditor General be reformed. Instead of the current system, where ten members of the Saeima have the right to nominate candidates, this authority would be granted to the President of Latvia, while the Saeima would retain the final decision-making power regarding the selected candidates. This proposed approach would not disrupt the established checks and balance of power between the branches of government but would allow the President of Latvia to identify the most suitable candidate through both formal and informal consultations before nomination. This, in turn, would reduce the predominance of political considerations over professional qualifications. Accordingly, the draft law stipulates that the three aforementioned officials shall be elected by the Saeima upon the proposal from the President of Latvia.
In accordance with Article 65 of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia, the President of Latvia has submitted for consideration the draft laws "Amendments to the Law on the Bank of Latvia", "Amendments to the Ombudsman Law", “Amendments to the State Audit Office Law”, and "Amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Saeima”
The full text of the draft laws and their explanatory notes are available on the website of the Chancery of the President of the Republic of Latvia.
Additionally, by the end of March this year, the President of Latvia is expected to submit a legislative initiative regarding the procedure for organising referendums.