Several members of Latvia’s 15th Saeima had to repeat their parliamentary oath or solemn pledge during the parliament’s first sitting after reciting it incorrectly.
Natālija Ābola, an MP representing the Sovereign Power/Young Latvians Alliance (SV/AJ), was the first to be asked to repeat her oath today.
Meanwhile, MP Baiba Braže (New Unity) said “conscience” instead of “best judgement”, meaning she also had to repeat her pledge.
Rūdolfs Brēmanis (SV/JV), a member of the 15th Saeima, also had to repeat his pledge after omitting the word “and”.
Jānis Dombrava (National Alliance) was required to repeat his oath because, like Ābola, he omitted the phrase “before the people of Latvia”.
MP Jekaterina Ivanova (Latvia First) also had to repeat her oath after leaving out the word “Latvia”.
Candidates elected to the 15th Saeima take the following solemn oath:
“I, upon assuming the duties of a Member of the Saeima, swear (solemnly promise) before the people of Latvia to be loyal to Latvia, to strengthen its sovereignty and the Latvian language as the sole official language, to defend Latvia as an independent and democratic state, and to perform my duties honestly and to the best of my conscience. I undertake to observe the Constitution and laws of Latvia.”
Each newly elected MP confirms the pledge with their signature.
Following Ābola’s initial pledge, Speaker of the 14th Saeima Daiga Mieriņa (Union of Greens and Farmers) asked her to repeat it, pointing out that she had omitted the words “before the people of Latvia”.
After the solemn pledges have been taken, the Saeima votes on a draft decision confirming the mandates of the members of the 15th Saeima.
As previously reported, the United List (AS) secured 41 seats in the 15th Saeima elections, Latvia First (LPV) won 17, Sovereign Power/Young Latvians Alliance (SV/AJ) obtained 15, the National Alliance (NA) secured ten, the Progressives won ten, and New Unity (JV) received seven seats.