Politics
Latvia bans unvaccinated lawmakers from voting
Latvia’s parliament has voted in favor of a bill which prevents national and local lawmakers from carrying out their work if they’re not vaccinated against COVID-19, becoming the first country in the world to approve such a measure.
The bill, which was supported by 62 out of 100 deputies, prevents lawmakers from voting on legislature and participating in debate. The ban, which takes effect on Monday, will affect at least nine members of parliament.
The bill also affects members of municipal councils, who will be suspended from office until they’re vaccinated or recover from COVID-19. Lawmakers will not be paid during this period.
The ban is scheduled to remain in force until July 2022, but will be reviewed every two months.
Latvia is the first country in the world to suspend lawmakers for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Some legal experts have questioned the constitutionality of the ban, which may be challenged in court.
Dina Meistere, the head of parliament’s legal office, said the ban is not in accordance with the constitution and does not pass the “proportionality test,” as healthy, able-bodied deputies will be suspended, according to the Latvijas Avīze newspaper.
Latvia has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the European Union. The country of 1.9 million reported a record 3,206 new cases on October 27, but the numbers have since dropped, with 1,388 new cases reported on Friday.
-
US News6 days ago
4 more cats test positive for H5N1 bird flu in the U.S.
-
Legal4 days ago
Boy, 16, shoots 10 people at Sanford, Florida event venue
-
Legal1 day ago
Police kill ‘active shooter’ outside Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin middle school
-
US News1 week ago
2 killed in cargo plane crash near Fairbanks, Alaska
-
Legal5 days ago
Texas Amber Alert: Legend Torres abducted in San Marcos
-
World1 week ago
28 pilot whales die after mass stranding on Australian beach
-
Legal1 week ago
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov arrested for taking bribe
-
World2 days ago
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing 14-year-old boy