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The date of the first sitting of the new Riga City Council is still unknown

If the process of counting the votes of the unstamped envelopes specified by the Administrative Regional Court runs smoothly, the nearest date allowed by law for the new Riga City Council the first meeting could probably take place on 29 September.

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Juris Kokins, the Chairman of the Riga City Election Commission, did not rule out such a possibility when answering the question about the respective date. However, Kokins also pointed out that in the current situation he refrains from predicting a specific date of the hearing until the addition of votes ordered by the court has taken place, the expected new results have been approved and other procedures prescribed by regulatory enactments have been completed. At the same time, he emphasized that the Riga Election Commission would not delay in convening the sitting.

From Kokin’s statement it can be concluded that if after the expected addition of the results of unstamped envelopes in the evening of September 17 the Riga City Electoral Commission will be able to approve the new results on September 18, then September 29 could be the first day the law would allow the first council meeting.

However, it is currently uncertain which day will be the first date allowed by law for convening a Riga City Council meeting, as this could depend on both when the Riga City Electoral Commission will be able to decide on the approval of the results and how exactly the law will be calculated. that the meeting be convened no earlier than ten days after the announcement of the results, and possibly other aspects. Also, according to the law, the meeting must be convened no later than 20 days after the announcement of the results, which under the above-mentioned conditions would mean that the meeting may have to be convened no later than October 8.

The “Law on Elections of the City Council and County Council of the Republic” stipulates that not earlier than ten days and not later than 20 days after the announcement of the election results, the chairman of the city city election commission shall invite newly elected deputies to the first council meeting. Kokins pointed out that the first meeting of the Riga City Council will be convened in accordance with this norm.

Asked about another norm in the law, which, if the court had not amended the decision of the election commission to approve the election results, would allow the sitting to be convened earlier, Kokins emphasized that the court had annulled Central Election Commissions (CVK), thus the decision of the election commission has been amended and this norm is not applicable. The head of the Riga Election Commission emphasized that the provisions of the law must be observed, because if it were decided to convene a meeting of the Riga City Council earlier than provided by law, such a decision could also be challenged in court.

The addition of the stamped envelope marks ordered by the court and CVK to the results is planned to be organized on September 17 after the usual working hours. Kokins drew attention to the fact that the legal relations with the Riga Election Commission for the employees of the polling stations have ended and that they are currently working in other jobs. In order for the stamps of unstamped envelopes to be added to the results, the three polling station commissions must each have a quorum. In order to have greater certainty that the number of polling station employees required by the quorum would attend the counting of votes, the counting of votes is organized not on September 16, but on September 17, the head of the Riga Election Commission explained.

It should also be taken into account that the counting of votes must be technically prepared by installing computer equipment and ensuring the operation of the necessary computer program, said Kokins, who assumed that the counting of votes could last until midnight. The final results of the elections, taking into account the votes cast, could be announced the following day, 18 September. Asked whether the election results could be available, for example, on September 18 at 1 or 2 at night, the head of the Riga Election Commission said that it could not be promised. Once the results have been compiled, they will be published on the website maintained by CVK.

As reported, CVK decided on Tuesdaythat the addition of unmarked envelope marks to the results of the Riga City Council extraordinary elections in the three Riga polling stations must be done by Thursday, September 17. It is planned that the counting of votes will take place in the Riga Congress House and will be followed by media representatives, as well as up to two representatives from each list of candidates.

Such a decision was taken in accordance with a judgment of the Regional Administrative Court in which assigned to conduct Riga City Council elections transfer of votes in three polling stations in Riga, adding ballot envelopes declared invalid in these polling stations.

After the results of adding the stamps of the unstamped envelopes, the Riga City Election Commission and its chairman Juris Kokins should decide on convening the first meeting of the Riga City Council on September 21 at 10 am, such opinion was expressed by the CEC member Valdis Verners.

After the meeting, CEC Chairwoman Kristīne Bērziņa pointed out that lawyers differ on how long the newly elected Riga City Council should meet after the forthcoming decision of the Riga Election Commission to approve the results. The head of the CEC stated that the lawyers consulted by the CEC believe that the first council meeting will have to be convened no earlier than ten days and no later than 20 days after the expected announcement of the election results. Bērziņa acknowledged that the Riga Election Commission may, if necessary, consult with the Riga City Council and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development lawyers.

CEC representative Laura Zaharova informed that after the transfer of votes, the Riga City Election Commission will have to make a new decision on approving the results of the Riga City Council extraordinary elections. That decision will not be open to challenge, as it will be taken in accordance with a court judgment. This decision will also not be possible to appeal in court, the Regional Administrative Court said.

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