During the first six months of this year, the Saeima has received almost 3,500 submissions, including three collective submissions. Six submissions addressed to the Saeima were submitted via internet portal www.latvija.lv.
The opportunity to file a collective submission with the Saeima signed by 10,000 citizens is envisaged by the Rules of Procedure of the Saeima, and during the first half of this year, it was used on three occasions. The collective submissions requested changing the proportion of state compensation for medicines necessary in the treatment of hepatitis C, limiting the range of speed detected by speed control devices, and postponing introduction of the euro.
During the first half of this year, the Visitor and Information Centre of the Saeima received 177 submissions that were handed in personally and 374 submissions that were sent to the informative e-mail address. The Centre also welcomed 921 visitors, and the Saeima hotline provided information to 550 callers.
Submissions from natural persons and non-governmental organisations contain mostly legislative proposals, as well as opinions on the work of public institutions and current events. People often address the Saeima with complaints about the work of state, municipal and law enforcement institutions.
The Saeima has also received a submission signed by 106,000 citizens requesting the parliament to resume indexation of pensions. In June, more than 630 signatures were submitted in support of the letter campaign initiated by the Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia.
Submissions are a significant source of information which is used by MPs, committees and parliamentary groups in their work and they enable society to actually participate in the legislative process. On average, the Saeima receives 6,000 submissions annually.
The Visitor and Information Centre was established in the beginning of 2009 in order to enhance the parliamentary dialogue with society and to encourage participation of individuals in the work of the Saeima. The Centre offers anyone the chance to obtain information about the work of the Saeima, file submissions with the parliament and meet with members and officials of the parliament without the need to obtain a pass. Since the opening of the Centre, the number of visitors of the Saeima has risen sharply – before 2009 the Saeima was visited by approximately 150 people per year, but after the Centre was established this number has increased to approximately 3,300 visitors per year.
The Saeima Visitor and Information Centre is located in Riga at Jēkaba iela 16 (entrance from Trokšņu iela), and it is open between Monday and Friday from 09:00 to 16:30. Information can be obtained not only by visiting the Centre in person but also by calling the Saeima hotline at +371 67087321 or by sending an e-mail at info@saeima.lv.
Saeima Press Service