Five deputies forced to repeat their oath at first session of Latvia's 15th Saeima

Five newly elected members of Latvia's parliament, the 15th Saeima, had to repeat the deputy's oath, or solemn pledge, at the body's first sitting because they delivered it inaccurately. Giving the pledge is a required step before the deputies' mandates are confirmed, and each new member also confirms it with a signature.

What went wrong

The first to repeat it was Natālija Ābola of the alliance Sovereign Power/United Latvians (SV/AJ), who left out the words "before the people of Latvia". After her pledge, Daiga Mieriņa (Union of Greens and Farmers, ZZS), chair of the 14th Saeima, asked her to give it again, pointing to the omission.

Jānis Dombrava of the National Alliance (NA) made the same mistake. Baiba Braže of New Unity (JV) said "conscience" where the text calls for "awareness". Rūdolfs Brēmanis (SV/JV) omitted the word "and", and Jekaterina Ivanova of Latvia First (LPV) left out the word "Latvia".

What the pledge says

Incoming deputies vow to be loyal to Latvia, strengthen its sovereignty and the Latvian language as the sole official language, defend Latvia as an independent and democratic state, carry out their duties honestly, and uphold the Constitution and laws.

Election results

After the pledges, the Saeima voted on a draft decision confirming the deputies' mandates. In the election, the United List won 41 seats, LPV 17, SV/AJ 15, the National Alliance ten, the Progressives ten, and New Unity seven.