Saeima and the President of the State
Saeima: composition and election
The Saeima has 100 members, elected in general, equal, direct and secret proportional elections for four years. The electoral threshold for entering the Saeima is 5 per cent of votes cast. Elections are held on the first Saturday of October. The Saeima is the legislature: it adopts laws and the state budget, exercises parliamentary control over the Cabinet, elects the President of the State, and performs other constitutional appointments. Its mandate is representative; members are not bound by instructions.
President of the State
The President is elected by the Saeima in a secret ballot for a four-year term. A candidate must be a Latvian citizen and at least 40 years old. The President represents the state, accredits ambassadors, nominates the Prime Minister, and has powers in relation to laws, the Saeima and the armed forces. Presidential acts in defined areas require countersignature by the Prime Minister or a minister, which links them to ministerial responsibility.
Worked example
The President decides to dissolve the Saeima. This is not a simple decree that ends parliament. The Constitution requires a referendum on dissolution. If the electorate supports dissolution, a new Saeima is elected; if it does not, the President is removed and the Saeima continues. The reasoning is that dissolution is a check on parliament, but the people decide the conflict.
Traps
Do not say the President is directly elected by the people; the Saeima elects the President. Do not confuse the 5 per cent threshold with a constitutional requirement for a majority of all voters. Do not say the President governs day-to-day administration: the Cabinet does. Do not describe the President as politically responsible to the Saeima in the same way as a minister; the constitutional design separates the offices.