10,000 sign for a transparent presidential election

A total of 10,000 signatures have been gathered to make the parliamentary presidential election vote open, reported LSM's Latvian-language service Thursday. 

The 10,000 votes were recorded at the public initiative portal Manabalss.lv.

The initiative that attempts to change the parliamentary ballot for electing president of Latvia was started in 2014 by Jānis Veide, who will be handing the initiative to Saeima for review.

Veide noted that the presidential vote is currently the only vote with a secret ballot at the Saeima.

"All the other votes, on laws, decisions and officials [..] are transparent," said Veide.

He said that the goal of the initiative is to change article 36 of the constitution of Latvia so that the president is elected in an open instead of a closed vote. 

According to Velde, an open ballot would halt the post-election turmoil when some MPs lie to the press and voters about their choice, casting a shadow on all the other members of the Saeima as well.

A popular initiative that gets at least 10,000 valid votes has to be considered by the Saeima.

Previous initiatives at manabalss.lv include everything from a marijuana decriminalization campaign (failed) to upping the speed limit at which photo radars photograph the car (passed).

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