Crisis Phase (September 6, 1991-June 22, 1998): Latvia formally declared its independence from the Soviet Union on August 21, 1991, and the USSR State Council accepted Latvia’s independence on September 6, 1991. Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden recognized Latvia’s independence on August 25, 1991, and European Community (EC) foreign ministers recognized Latvia’s independence on August 27, 1991. Ethnic Latvians made up some 52 percent of the population, while ethnic Russians made up some 34 percent of the population following independence. Parliamentary elections were held on June 5-6, 1993, and the Latvian Way Union (LWU) won 36 out of 100 seats in the parliament (Saeima). The National Independence Movement of Latvia (NIML) won 15 seats in the parliament. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA) and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) established an election observation mission to monitor the parliamentary elections. Guntis Ulmanis was elected president by the parliament on July 7, 1993, and Valdis Birkavs formed a government as prime minister on July 20, 1993. Latvia’s 1922 constitution was restored in July 1993. On September 23, 1993, the OSCE established the OSCE Mission to Latvia to facilitate dialogue between the government and ethnic-Russians. The OSCE mission, which consisted of seven personnel, began its work in Riga on November 19, 1993. Local elections were held on May 29, 1994. The OSCE/ODIHR established an election observation mission to monitor the local elections. On June 21, 1994, the parliament approved legislation making “conversational fluency” in Latvian a requirement for citizenship. The parliament approved an amended version of the “citizenship” legislation on July 22, 1994. Prime Minister Birkavs resigned on July 14, 1994, and Maris Gailis of the LC formed a government as prime minister on September 15, 1994. Parliamentary elections were held on September 30-October 1, 1995, and the Democratic Party (DP) won 15.3 percent of the vote. The OSCE/ODIHR established an election observation mission consisting of ten observers headed by Peter Kapral of Austria to monitor the parliamentary elections from September 28 to October 2, 1995, and the OSCE/ODIHR mission reported that the elections were free and fair. Andris Skele formed a coalition government as prime minister on December 21, 1995. President Ulmanis was re-elected by the parliament on June 18, 1996. Prime Minister Skele resigned on January 20, 1997. On January 20, 1997, President Ulmanis asked Prime Minister Skele to form another government, and Prime Minister Skele formed a coalition government as prime minister on February 13, 1997. Ethnic Russians demonstrated for political rights in Riga on March 1, 1997. Local elections were held on March 9, 1997, and the Latvian Farmers’ Union (LFU) won 168 seats in local councils. Prime Minister Skele resigned on July 25, 1997, and Guntars Krasts formed a government as prime minister on July 28, 1997. The Council of Europe (COE) Parliamentary Assembly began monitoring human rights conditions in the country in September 1997. The parliament approved an amendment to the Latvia constitution on June 22, 1998, which would make it easier for non-Latvians to acquire citizenship (the amendment was approved in a referendum on October 3, 1998).
Post-Crisis Phase (June 23, 1998-present): Parliamentary elections were held on October 3, 1998, and the Latvian People’s Party (LPP) headed by Andris Skele won 24 out of 100 seats in the Saeima. The LWU won 21 seats in the Saeima. The OSCE/ODIHR established an election assessment mission consisting of 18 observers from ten countries headed by Peter Hatch to monitor the referendum and parliamentary elections from September 17 to October 5, 1998. The COE Parliamentary Assembly sent 12 observers headed by Mikko Elo of Finland to monitor the parliamentary elections beginning on October 1, 1998. On November 3, 1998, the COE mission reported that the elections were free and fair. Vilis Kristopans of the LWU formed a coalition government as prime minister on November 26, 1998. Vaira Vike-Freiberga was elected president by the parliament on June 17, 1999, and she was inaugurated as president on July 8, 1999. Prime Minister Kristopans resigned on July 4, 1999, and Andris Skele of the LPP formed a government as prime minister on July 16, 1999. The parliament approved a legislation on July 8, 1999, which mandated the use of Latvian in public affairs and private business. President Vike-Freiberga returned the legislation to the parliament for reconsideration on July 14, 1999. Russia withdrew its remaining military personnel from Latvia on October 21, 1999. The parliament approved a new language law on December 9, 1999. Russia condemned the Latvian language law on December 10, 1999. The COE ended its monitoring of human rights conditions on January 23, 2001, and the OSCE Mission to Latvia was disbanded on December 31, 2001. Municipal elections were held on March 11, 2001. Parliamentary elections were held on October 5, 2002, and the right-of-center New Era Party (Jaunais Laiks-JL) won 26 out of 100 seats in the parliament. A left-of-center coalition including the Latvian Socialist Party (Latvijas Socialistiska Partija-LSP) won 25 seats in the parliament. Einars Repse of the JL formed a government as prime minister. The OSCE/ODIHR sent twelve long-term observers to monitor the parliamentary elections from September 12 to October 6, 2002. The COE Parliamentary Assembly sent observers to monitor the parliamentary elections. President Vike-Freiberga was re-elected president by the parliament in 2003. The government of Prime Minister Repse collapsed on February 5, 2004, and Indulis Emsis of the Union of Greens and Farmers (Zalo un Zemnieku Savieniba-ZZS) formed a coalition government as prime minister in March 2004. The coaltion government of Prime Minister Emsis collapsed on October 28, 2004. Aigars Kalvitis of the LPP formed a coalition government including the JL as prime minister on December 2, 2004. The JL withdrew from the coalition government headed by Prime Minister Kalvitis in April 2006. Parliamentary elections were held on October 7, 2006, and the LPP won 23 out of 100 seats in the parliament. The JL won 18 seats in the parliament. The OSCE/ODIHR sent 17 long-term observers headed by Ambassador Boris Frlec of Slovenia to monitor the parliamentary elections from September 18 to October 8, 2006.
[Sources: Associated Press (AP), March 1, 1997; Banks and Muller, 1998, 524-528; British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), July 12, 1999, December 10, 1999, March 11, 2001, October 6, 2002, February 5, 2004, October 28, 2004; Council of Europe (COE) press release, January 23, 2001, October 6, 2002; Keesing’s Record of World Events, June 1993, July 1993, July 1994, September 1994, March 1997, August 1997, October 1998, November 1998, June 1999, July 1999; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) newsletter, September 1995; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) newsletter, February/March 1999; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA)/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) press release, September 12, 2002, October 6, 2002, September 18, 2006, October 8, 2006; OSCE/ODIHR statement, October 6, 2002; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), January 20, 1997, January 29, 1997, July 28, 1997, July 29, 1997, October 2, 1998, October 5, 1998, October 21, 1998, July 15, 1999, November 23, 2001.]