{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Latvia - Latvians vote to sack parliament in historic referendum' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c4d1d8eafeecae16b835' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c4d1d8eafeecae16b835' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nLatvia - Latvians vote to sack parliament in historic referendum\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eOn July 23rd 2011 Latvians went to the polls in a referendum on whether to dissolve the 100-seat Parliament, a move initiated by the previous president just a week before lawmakers ousted him.Observers predict that disillusioned Latvians...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eOn July 23rd 2011 Latvians went to the polls in a referendum on whether to dissolve the 100-seat Parliament, a move initiated by the previous president just a week before lawmakers ousted him.\u003cbr/\u003eObservers predict that disillusioned Latvians are likely to vote \"yes\", amid concerns over cozy relationships between Parliament and powerful oligarchs in one of Europe's poorest countries.\u003cbr/\u003eNo scientific poll has been conducted ahead of the vote, but an online survey by a polling institute predicts a majority \"yes\" vote.\u003cbr/\u003eIt is the first such referendum since the Baltic country of 2.2 (m) million people broke away from the Soviet Union 20 years ago, and, if successful, will result in snap parliamentary elections in September.\u003cbr/\u003eFormer head of state Valdis Zatlers used his presidential powers to call the referendum in May, after lawmakers blocked an investigation into corruption involving top legislators and businessmen.\u003cbr/\u003eThe following week Zatlers lost his re-election bid when legislators - who in Latvia elect the president every four years - opted for challenger Andris Berzins, a millionaire lawmaker.\u003cbr/\u003eThe former president told reporters at a voting station in the capital Riga that he was pleased to see people coming to vote across the country. \u003cbr/\u003e\"The most important is that people who come to polling stations today realise that power in the country belongs to them. The self-awareness of the nation is growing, which is this poll's biggest achievement,\" he said. \u003cbr/\u003eMany Latvians share Zatlers' concerns that wealthy oligarchs have achieved too much influence in politics through their personal and business links with lawmakers, or by getting into Parliament themselves.\u003cbr/\u003eLatvia is emerging from a deep recession that in three years cut economic output by nearly a quarter. \u003cbr/\u003eIn December 2008, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund stepped in to rescue the country from bankruptcy with a 7.5 (b) billion euro (10.5 (b) billion US dollars) bailout, though the aid did little to alleviate widespread discontent as the government slashed spending and raised taxes.\u003cbr/\u003eUnemployment eventually reached nearly 25 percent, and tens of thousands of people fled the country to find work in Sweden, Britain and Ireland.\u003cbr/\u003eThe only official poll conducted before the vote was an online survey of 828 people by polling institute TNS Latvia. \u003cbr/\u003eIt showed that 75 percent of voters would support sacking Parliament in a referendum. The poll's margin of error was three percentage points, and only included citizens from ages 18 to 55.\u003cbr/\u003ePolitical scientist Filipp Raevsky said that the referendum was basically an election campaign for Zatlers, who has formed his own organisation, Zatlers' Reform Party, that intends to participate in elections forecast for September.\u003cbr/\u003e\"This short warning measure to call the extraordinary elections of Parliament we can evaluate absolutely as part of his elections campaign,\" he said. \u003cbr/\u003eCrucially, since there is no turnout quota for the referendum, whatever result emerges will stand.\u003cbr/\u003eLatvia - Polls open for vote on president's decision to dissolve parliament\u003cbr/\u003eRiga - 23 July 2011\u003cbr/\u003e1. Wide of Vansu Bridge and Daugava River \u003cbr/\u003e2. Wide of parliament building\u003cbr/\u003e3. Passport of voter being checked \u003cbr/\u003e4. Voter (Erika Kristiansene) casting her ballot\u003cbr/\u003eLatvia - President and frm president Zatlers voting in referendum, sot, political analyst\u003cbr/\u003eAP TELEVISION/Presidential Handout\u003cbr/\u003eVarious - 23 July 2011\u003cbr/\u003ePresidential Handout \u003cbr/\u003eLigatne\u003cbr/\u003e5. Wide of Latvian President Andris Berzins voting\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television\u003cbr/\u003eRiga\u003cbr/\u003e6. Mid of street in Riga\u003cbr/\u003eAP Television\u003cbr/\u003eRiga\u003cbr/\u003e7. 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