Smiltēns Considers Reforming Saeima Subcommittees and Sustainable Development Committee

Edvards Smiltēns (AS), the newly elected Speaker of Latvia's parliament, the Saeima, may propose reforming the work of a parliamentary subcommittee and the Sustainable Development Committee. He said this on the Latvian Television programme "Šodienas jautājums". Smiltēns was elected Speaker on Tuesday; he had previously served as justice minister. His ideas concern how committee work in the Saeima will be organised going forward.

Sustainable Development Committee and an overloaded committee

Smiltēns believes the work of the Sustainable Development Committee should be reassessed. He said he spent eight years on the Committee on National Economy, Agrarian, Environmental and Regional Policy, which he described as "totally overloaded". For that reason he intends to propose examining whether it could be split into two, so that work becomes more productive.

Subcommittees modelled on inquiry committees

Smiltēns also thinks Saeima subcommittees should not operate for a full term. In his view, they should work like parliamentary inquiry committees, each with a defined goal and a deadline for achieving it. Based on his remarks, such subcommittees would be set up only when needed.

Next steps

Smiltēns revealed that on 10 November he will propose that the Saeima Presidium and the Council of Factions agree on principles for forming committees and on deadlines for nominating candidates. The aim is for the committees to be able to start work as early as 18 November.