The Institution of Recall in Latvia

The recall mechanism, like other forms of direct democracy, has raised a growing interest. In the last century, a number of states have used it, both on the central level and,especially, on the regional and local level. The group of such countries was joined in 2008 by Latvia which introduced into its legal system a unique, on the world scale, form of recall. In the article, the author defines the recall mechanism, presents countries where the mechanism exists, and classifies the types of recall. Then the author presents the proces of constitutionalization of recall in Latvia and the current constitutional and statutory provisions pertaining to that institution. Also, an attempt has been made to evaluate the potential of this institution in Latvia’s system of government.