Ten party leaders debate Latvia’s future in Zemgale

Ten political party candidates are taking part in a televised pre-election debate in Zemgale on Thursday ahead of Latvia’s 15th Saeima elections, LSM reported.

The debate is part of LSM’s “Choose Latvia’s future” series, organised by Latvian Television across the country’s five electoral regions: Latgale, Zemgale, Riga, Kurzeme and Vidzeme.

The participants are Edgars Tavars of Apvienotais saraksts, Armands Kaļišuks of Suverēnā vara and Apvienība Jaunlatvieši, Edmunds Zivtiņš of Latvija pirmajā vietā, Atis Švinka of Progresīvie, Edvarts Krusts of Mēs mainām noteikumus, Reinis Uzulnieks of the Union of Greens and Farmers, Edmunds Jurēvics of New Unity, Jānis Vitenbergs of the National Alliance, Leons Līdums of Latvijas attīstībai and Violeta Drozdoviča of Stabilitātei!

Political forces were invited to the regional debates if they had at least 2% support in at least one of the public opinion surveys published by SKDS in August. The rating threshold was calculated among all eligible voters, rather than only those who had made a choice at the time of the survey.

Each party delegated one of the first three candidates on its list for the relevant electoral region.

The debates include questions and discussion involving residents and audience members on issues affecting the region and Latvia as a whole. They are being moderated by experienced Latvian Television journalists Gundars Rēders and Guntis Bojārs.

The first debate, in Latgale, was held on August 27. Further debates are scheduled for Riga on September 10, Kurzeme on September 17 and Vidzeme on September 24.

Latvia’s 15th Saeima elections will be held on Saturday, October 3. Polling stations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and voters will be able to cast their ballots at any polling station. Fourteen candidate lists have been submitted.