The Constitutional Assembly of Latvia ( lv, Satversmes sapulce) was independent

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

's first elected legislative body. Its main task was creating the

constitution of Latvia The Constitution of Latvia ( lv, Satversme) is the fundamental law of the Republic of Latvia. Satversme is the oldest Eastern or Central European constitution still in force and the sixth oldest still-functioning republican basic law in the ...

, the Satversme, which is still in effect to this day. The Speaker of Assembly was

Jānis Čakste Jānis Kristaps Čakste (14 September 1859 – 14 March 1927) was a Latvian politician and lawyer who served as the first head of an independent Latvian state as the Chairman of the People's Council (1918–1920), the Speaker of the Constitutio ...

, who later became the first

President of Latvia The president of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Valsts prezidents ) is head of state and commander-in-chief of the Latvian National Armed Forces, National Armed Forces of the Latvia, Republic of Latvia. The term of office is four years. Before 1999, it w ...

. The assembly functioned from May 1, 1920, until November 7, 1922, when the 1st Saeima convened.

Electing the Constitutional Assembly

On August 19, 1919,

People's Council of Latvia The People's Council of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Tautas padome, LTP) was a temporary council which declared Latvia's independence on November 18, 1918 and then acted as the temporary parliament of the country until a Constitutional Assembly was elect ...

issued the law about elections of Constitutional Assembly. Elections were open to male and female citizens who were older than 21, no minimal vote percentage was set, so many small parties were elected. After the end of

Latvian War of Independence The Latvian War of Independence ( lv, Latvijas Neatkarības karš), sometimes called Latvia's freedom battles () or the Latvian War of Liberation (), was a series of military conflicts in Latvia between 5 December 1918, after the newly proclaim ...

in January, 1920 Constitutional Assembly elections were quickly organized and held on April 17–18, 1920 when the people of Latvia voted in universal, equal, direct and proportional elections. 25 parties competed for 150 seats. 84.9% of eligible voters participated (677, 084 people). There were 57 candidate lists covering 5 regional constituencies and 16 parties won seats in the Assembly. One hundred fifty members, including 5 women, were elected. The most successful parties were the

Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party ) , colours = Maroon Green , headquarters = Riga, Lāčplēša iela 60, LV-1011 , seats1_title = Saeima , seats1 = , seats2_title = European Parliament , seats2 = , website lsdsp.lv, membership_year = 2017 , membership = 633 The Latv ...

(57 seats),

Latvian Farmers' Union The Latvian Farmers' Union ( lv, Latvijas Zemnieku savienība, LZS) is an agrarian political party in Latvia. Initially formed in 1917 during the period of Latvian War of Independence, it was banned in 1934. It was re-established in 1990. It i ...

(26 seats) and

Latgalian Farmers Party The Latgalian Farmers Party ( lv, Latgales Zemnieku partija) was a political party in Latvia representing the interests of Latgale farmers during the inter-war period. History The party won 17 seats in the 1920 Constitutional Assembly elections ...

(17 seats). The remainder of the seats went mostly to ethnic minorities —

Committee of the German Baltic Parties The Committee of the German-Baltic Parties (german: Ausschuß der Deutschbaltischen Parteien, ADP) was an alliance of Baltic German political parties in Latvia during the inter-war period. Its members included the German-Baltic Democratic Party, ...

Democrats Union The Democrats Union ( lv, Demokrātu savienība, DS) was a political party in Latvia in the inter-war period. History The party won six seats in the 1920 Constitutional Assembly elections, becoming the joint fourth-largest party in the Assembl ...

, Polish Party of Latvia and the Worker's Party, Jewish parties and others. The first meeting of the Assembly took place on May 1, 1920, at Riga, in the

House of the Livonian Noble Corporation The House of the Livonian Noble Corporation ( lv, Vidzemes bruņniecības nams) also known as Saeima House (''Saeimas nams''), is the seat of the parliament of Latvia, the Saeima. It is located in the '' Vecpilsēta'' (Old Town) neighbourhood of ...

which houses Latvian Parliament up to this day. The Constitutional Assembly drafted the basic law of the state — the Satversme — as well as other laws. It adopted a law on agrarian reform, a law on the election of the Saeima (Parliament), laws about the State flag, State coat of arms, national anthem and other laws. The Constitutional Assembly had 21 standing committees. It held 213 plenary sessions and adopted 205 laws and 291 regulations having the force of law.

List of deputies

Arturs Alberings Arturs Alberings (8 January 1876 – 26 April 1934) was the 6th Prime Minister of Latvia. He held office from 7 May 1926 to 18 December 1926. Personal life Alberings was born on 8 January 1876 to a family of farmers in Rūjiena, Kreis Wolmar ...

* Mārtiņš Antons *

Pauls Ašmanis Pauls may refer to: *Pauls (given name) *Pauls (surname) *Pauls (dairy), Australian dairy brand name *Paüls, municipality in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain See also * Paul (disambiguation) * Pauls Agriculture * Pauls Valley Pauls Valley is a ci ...

* Jānis Bankavs *

Ernests Bauers Ernests is a Latvian language, Latvian masculine given name. It is a cognate of the masculine given name Ernest and may refer to: *Ernests Birznieks-Upītis (1871-1960), Latvian writer, translator and librarian *Ernests Blanks (1894–1972), Latv ...

* Jānis Beļinskis *

Rūdolfs Benuss Rūdolfs is a Latvian masculine given name, a cognate of the English given name Rudolph and may refer to: *Rūdolfs Balcers (born 1997), Latvian ice hockey player * Rūdolfs Bārda (1903–1991), Latvian footballer * Rūdolfs Baumanis (1909–199 ...

Kārlis Benze Kārlis or Karlis is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Kārlis Aperāts (1892–1944), Latvian Standartenführer in the Waffen SS during World War II * Kārlis Ašmanis (1898–1962), Latvian footballer *Kārlis Balodis (186 ...

Arveds Bergs Arveds Kārlis Kristaps Bergs (born 13 September 1875 Riga, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire – died 19 December 1941, Chkalov, Orenburg Oblast, Soviet Union) was a Latvian lawyer, newspaper editor and politician actively advocating establ ...

Krišjānis Berķis Krišjānis Berķis (April 26, 1884 in Īslīce parish, Bauska municipality, Courland, modern Latvia – July 29, 1942 in Perm, Russia) was a Latvian general. Rising to prominence as an officer of the Latvian Riflemen in World War I, he was pr ...

* Īzaks Berss * Andrejs Bērziņš * Donats Bicāns *

Roberts Bīlmanis Roberts may refer to: People * Roberts (given name), a Latvian masculine given name * Roberts (surname), a popular surname, especially among the Welsh Places * Roberts (crater), a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon ;United Sta ...

Jānis Birznieks Jānis is a Latvian masculine given name. The first written use of the name Jānis dates back to 1290. It may refer to: *Jānis Ādamsons (born 1956), Latvian politician * Jānis Akuraters (1876–1937), Latvian poet, writer, playwright and poli ...

* Krišs Birznieks * Erasts Bite *

Ādolfs Bļodnieks Ādolfs Bļodnieks (24 July 1889 – 21 March 1962) held the office of Prime Minister of Latvia from 24 March 1933 – 16 March 1934, for the New Farmers' Party. Blodnieks was born in Tukums Tukums (; german: Tuckum; liv, Tukāmō) is a t ...

* Aleksandrs Bočagovs * Kārlis Bojārs * Augusts Briedis * Miķelis Bružis *

Kristaps Bungšs Kristaps is a Latvian masculine given name. It is a cognate of the German name Christoph and may refer to: *Kristaps Blanks (born 1986), Latvian football striker *Kristaps Dārgais (born 1990), Latvian basketball player *Kristaps Grebis (born 1 ...

* Ansis Buševics * Jānis Cālītis *

Hugo Celmiņš Hugo Celmiņš (October 30, 1877 – July 30, 1941) was a Latvian politician, a public employee, agronomist, twice the Prime Minister of Latvia (''19 January 1924 – 23 December 1925, 1 December 1928 – 26 March 1931''). Arrested and deported t ...

* Jūlijs Celms * Zelma Cēsniece-Freidenfelde * Fēlikss Cielēns * Ruvins Cvi *

* Jēkabs Dārznieks * Kārlis Dēķens * Vilis Dermanis * Viktors Dombrovskis * Jānis Druģis * Morduhs Dubins * Kārlis Dzelzītis * Kristaps Eliass * Vilhelms Firkss * Leopolds Fišmanis * Markus Gailītis * Ignats Gigels * Jānis Goldmanis * Jānis Goliass * Eduards Grantskalns * Valdis Grēviņš *

Oto Hasmanis Oto, Ōtō, or OTO may refer to: People *Oto (name), including a list of people with the name *The Otoe tribe (also spelled Oto), a Native American people Places *Oto, Spain, a village in the Valle de Broto, in Huesca, Aragon * Otorohanga, a tow ...

* Jakovs Helmanis * Vilis Holcmanis *

Kārlis Irbe Karlis Irbe (7 August 1861 – 23 March 1934) was a Latvian prelate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia and the first bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia from 1922 until his resignation in 1931. Biography Irbe was born ...

* Ēvalds Ivanovs * Roberts Ivanovs * Fricis Jansons * Jēkabs Jansons * Aleksandrs Jaunbērzs * Heliodors Jozans * Klāra Kalniņa * Augusts Kalniņš *

Bruno Kalniņš Bruno may refer to: People and fictional characters *Bruno (name), including lists of people and fictional characters with either the given name or surname * Bruno, Duke of Saxony (died 880) * Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne, ...

* Miķelis Kalniņš * Nikolajs Kalniņš * Pauls Kalniņš * Staņislavs Kambala * Kārlis Kasparsons * Kārlis Kellers * Juris Kēmanis * Francis Kemps * Jezups Kindzulis * Ādolfs Klīve * Pēteris Klūge * Egons Knops * Dāvids Komisārs * Pēteris Kotans * Vincents Kursītis * Andrejs Kuršinskis *

Alberts Kviesis Alberts Kviesis (22 December 1881, in Tērvete Parish – 9 August 1944, in Riga) was a Latvian politician and the third President of Latvia. Alberts Kviesis was born in Kalnamuiža (Tērvete) parish (now Dobele Municipality) in the Courland G ...

* Antons Laizāns * Pauls Laizāns * Jakovs Landaus * Rūdolfs Lapsa * Apolonija Laurinoviča * Jezups Laurinovičs * Roberts Lauris * Pēteris Lazdāns * Jānis Lībietis * Kārlis Lībtāls * Rūdolfs Lindiņš * Edvīns Magnuss * Zigfrīds Meierovics * Pāvels Meļņikovs * Fricis Menders * Pauls Mincs *

Ernests Morics Ernests is a Latvian language, Latvian masculine given name. It is a cognate of the masculine given name Ernest and may refer to: *Ernests Birznieks-Upītis (1871-1960), Latvian writer, translator and librarian *Ernests Blanks (1894–1972), Latv ...

* Juris Naķelis * Aleksandrs Neibergs * Oto Nonācs * Arons Nuroks * Staņislavs Ozoliņš * Arturs Ozols * Juris Pabērzs * Roberts Pasils * Kārlis Pauļuks * Fjodors Pavlovs * Andrejs Petrevics * Elza Pliekšāne (Aspazija) * Jānis Pliekšāns (Rainis) * Teodors Plūme * Emīls Prauliņš * Vladimirs Presņakovs * Jānis Purgalis * Kārlis Puriņš * Izaks Rabinovičs * Eduards Radziņš * Gustavs Reinhards * Artūrs Reisners * Juris Riekstiņš * Miķelis Rozentāls * Antons Rubins * Jānis Rubulis * Ansis Rudevics * Teofils Rudzītis * Hermanis Salnis * Pēteris Sauleskalns * Indriķis Segliņš *

Valērija Seile Valērija Seile ( ltg, Valereja Seile; 1891–1970) was a Latvian politician, educator, historian, librarian and writer. She was educated in St Petersburg. She returned to Latvia in 1916, was the secretary of the Provisional Land Council of Latg ...

* Pēteris Siecenieks * Andrejs Sīmanis *

Kārlis Skalbe Kārlis Skalbe ( — 1945 April 14) was a Latvian writer, poet, and activist. He is best known for his 72 fairy tales which are really written for adults. He has been called the 'King of Fairytales', and his words, ''Tēvzemei un Brīvībai'' ('' ...

* Nikolajs Skangelis * Emīls Skubiķis * Marģers Skujenieks * Eduards Strautnieks * Juris Strazdiņš * Fricis Šaberts * Pauls Šīmanis * Jānis Šterns * Arveds Švābe * Jānis Taube * Vilis Tode * Eduards Tomass *

Francis Trasuns Francis Trasuns (October 16, 1864 – April 6, 1926) was a Latgalian priest, theologian and politician. He was a member of the State Duma of the Russian Empire (in 1906) and a member of the Latvian parliament (1922–1926). All his life, Tras ...

* Jezups Trasuns * Žano Trons * Odums Turkopuls *

Kārlis Ulmanis Kārlis Augusts Vilhelms Ulmanis (; 4 September 1877 – 20 September 1942) was a Latvian politician. He was one of the most prominent Latvian politicians of pre-World War II Latvia during the Interwar period of independence from November 1918 to ...

* Pēteris Ulpe * Oskars Valdmanis * Jānis Vārsbergs * Andrejs Veckalns * Antons Velkme * Jānis Velmers * Fricis Venevics *

Berta Vesmane Berta Emīlija Vesmane (10 October 1878 – 16 June 1941) was a Latvian politician. In 1920 she was one of the six women elected to the Constitutional Assembly of Latvia, Constitutional Assembly, Latvia's first female parliamentarians. Biography ...

* Fridrihs Vesmanis * Artūrs Vīgants * Jānis Vilsons * Jānis Višņa * Pēteris Zadvinskis * Voldemārs Zamuels * Jānis Zankevics * Pēteris Zeibolts * Pēteris Zvagulis * Artūrs Žers Saeimas Stenogrammas - 1920.g. - Nr.2
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References

{{Reflist

External links

* http://helios-web.saeima.lv/Informacija_eng/likumdeveju_vesture.html Political history of Latvia Legal history of Latvia Latvian constitutional law Independence of Latvia