At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Latvia

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Einars REPSE
• Assembly: Latvia has a unicameral Parliament (Saeima) with 100 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by parliament to serve a 4-year term.
• In the Parliament (Saeima) 100 members are elected by direct popular vote to serve 4-year terms.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA*
  • Party: N/A

* Number of votes in favor: 88 votes
Number of votes not in favor: 6 votes
Number of invalid votes: 2 votes
Other: 4 (due to absenteeism)

Last Presidential election:

• The last presidential election was held on June 17, 1999. Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA was elected in the second round of parliamentary election, securing 53% of the votes over Valdis BIKRAVS who had 20% and Ingrida UDRE who had 9% of the members' votes.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 2,287,955 (2003)
• Registered Voters: 1,395,287 (2002)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 1,237,490 (2003)

·         Is Latvia a signatory to CEDAW: N/A

·         Has Latvia ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (14 April 1992)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 21 (following the 2002 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 46 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Latvia a signatory to CRPD: Yes (18 July 2008)

·         Has Latvia ratified CRPD: Yes (1 March 2010)

·         Population with a disability: 343,193 (est.)