Parliamentary election due in Latvia on Saturday

Elections to the Latvian parliament, Seim, will be held on Saturday. It will be the eighth elections in the history of the Latvian state, created in 1918, and the fourth since the restoration of its independence.

Out of Latvia's 2.34-million population, less than 1.4 million citizens who have reached the age of 18 have the right to elect the seim. One fourth of Latvia's population cannot do so. They are citizens of the former USSR, residing in Latvia since June 17th, 1940, and their descendants.

Voting begins at 8.00 and ends at 20.00.

Twenty parties and associations, in all 1,019 candidates, claim to take 100 parliamentary seats. The 5-percent barrier has to be overcome for election to parliament.

According to the latest public opinion poll, between 6 and 8 parties and associations may occupy parliamentary seats.