RIGA, June 1 (LETA) - Varaklani will remain a separate region for now under legislative amendments passed by the Saeima in the final reading on Tuesday. 

The Saeima also tasked the Cabinet of Ministers with preparing proposals for the administrative territory of Varaklani Region by January 1, 2022. The assessment has to be provided in line with the goals of Latvia's administrative territorial reform.

By October 1, 2021, the Varaklani local government will have to consult the local population on the region's merger with nearby territories for attaining the goals of the administrative territorial reform.

The amendments were made to the Law on Administrative Territories and Populated Areas. 

As reported, President Egils Levits had a meeting with representatives of Saeima groups today, where an agreement was reached that Varaklani Region would remain an independent region for the time being. That, however, is just a temporary solution.

It is possible that Varaklani Region Council elections could be held in the region to elect the council for a period of one year, during which a correct legal solution would be prepared on merging Varaklani Region with Rezekne Region.

Saeima did not take the final decision on the Varaklani region's future during a sitting on May 31 and sent the respective draft amendments to the Law on Administrative Territories and Populated Areas back to the Administrative Territorial Reform Committee.

Thus, lawmakers also did not manage to go through a bill on moving local elections in the regions of Madona and Rezekne to September 11. After the Constitutional Court ruled the plan to merge the Varaklani region with the Rezekne region unconstitutional, the Central Election Commission has already suspended the election procedure in the Rezekne and Madona regions.