2002 Latvian parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Latvia on 5 October 2002.[1] The New Era Party emerged as the largest party in the Saeima, winning 26 of the 100 seats.
Results
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
---|---|---|---|---|
New Era Party | 237,452 | 24.0 | 26 | New |
For Human Rights in United Latvia | 189,088 | 19.1 | 25 | +9 |
People's Party | 165,246 | 16.7 | 20 | –4 |
Latvia's First Party | 94,752 | 9.6 | 10 | New |
Union of Greens and Farmers | 93,759 | 9.5 | 12 | +12 |
For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK | 53,396 | 5.4 | 7 | –10 |
Latvian Way | 48,430 | 4.9 | 0 | –21 |
Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party | 39,837 | 4.0 | 0 | –14 |
Light of Latgale | 15,948 | 1.6 | 0 | New |
Social Democratic Union | 15,162 | 1.5 | 0 | New |
Social Democratic Welfare Party | 13,234 | 1.3 | 0 | New |
Political Alliance "Centre" [a] | 5,819 | 0.6 | 0 | New |
Russian Party | 4,724 | 0.5 | 0 | New |
Latvians' Party | 3,919 | 0.4 | 0 | New |
Latvian Revival Party | 2,558 | 0.3 | 0 | New |
Freedom Party | 2,075 | 0.2 | 0 | New |
Mara's Land | 1,446 | 0.1 | 0 | New |
Citizens' Union "Our Land" | 1,349 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
Progressive Centre Party | 1,229 | 0.1 | 0 | New |
Latvian United Republican Party | 826 | 0.1 | 0 | New |
Invalid/blank votes | 7,505 | – | – | – |
Total | 997,754 | 100 | 100 | 0 |
Registered voters/turnout | 1,295,287 | 77.0 | – | – |
Source: Nohlen & Stöver |
a Political Alliance "Centre" was an alliance of Latvia's Democratic Party, the Workers' Party, For Freedom in Latvia and the Union of Latvian Farmers.[2]
Aftermath
Voters severely punished the previous governing parties, with the People's Party and For Fatherland and Freedom both losing seats, while Latvian Way lost all its MPs.
A new coalition government was formed by the New Era Party, Latvia's First Party, For Fatherland and Freedom and the Union of Greens and Farmers. This enjoyed a parliamentary majority of 55 of the 100 MPs. However, after two years For Fatherland and Freedom left the coalition and was replaced by the People's Party, who returned to government after a two-year absence.