Latvian Academy to vote on removing president Kalvins

The Latvian Academy of Sciences will consider removing its president, Ivars Kalvins, at an autumn plenary meeting on November 26, LSM reported. The academy’s Senate decided on Tuesday to add the issue to the agenda after Kalvins asked to be dismissed.

In an open letter to the public and media, Kalvins said he was considering leaving the post because of the controversy over his recommendation that Latvian citizenship be granted to Indian citizen Divya Vishwanath.

The academy received Kalvins’ request in late October, after the plenary agenda had already been approved. The Senate therefore had to make a separate decision to include the matter, academy public relations specialist Ilze Stengrevica said.

The Senate also decided to report to the plenary on whether the conduct of academy officials complied with the academy’s charter and statutes. In a statement, it said decisions in academic settings should be based on the rule of law, the presumption of innocence and verified facts, rather than assumptions or emotions.

The Senate appointed the academy’s foreign affairs secretary, Modris Greitans, and Senate chair Tatjana Koci to represent it on an inter-institutional commission initiated by the Ministry of Education and Science. The commission will assess the academy’s legal status, functions, governance model and role in the national science and innovation system.

Under the academy’s rules, its president can be removed if at least two-thirds of the members present vote for dismissal in a secret ballot. A decision to remove Kalvins would not automatically lead to the immediate election of a new president.