On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia

On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia
Supreme Soviet of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Territorial extent	Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Passed by	Supreme Soviet of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Passed	04.05.1990.
Enacted	04.05.1990.
Signed by	Anatolijs Gorbunovs
Voting summary	138 voted for 1 abstained 5 absent 57 present not voting
Status: In force

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The Declaration "On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia"^[1] (Latvian: Deklarācija par Latvijas Republikas neatkarības atjaunošanu) was adopted on 4 May 1990 by the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR in which Latvia declared independence from the Soviet Union.^[2] The Declaration stated that, although Latvia had de facto lost its independence in 1940, when it was annexed by the Soviet Union, the country had de jure remained a sovereign country as the annexation had been unconstitutional and against the will of the Latvian people.

It asserted the priority of the basics of the international law over the national laws and therefore it resolved that the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 were illegal. It also asserted that the heavily rigged 1940 elections were illegal and unconstitutional, and that all acts of the People's Saeima [lv; ru] chosen at that election–including the request to join the Soviet Union on 21 July 1940–were ipso facto void.^[1]

On this basis, the Supreme Soviet–now renamed the Supreme Council–annulled the declaration on the accession of Latvia to the Soviet Union, reinstituted the Constitution of Latvia (Satversme) of 1922, and began a transition to de facto independence, which would end upon the first session of Saeima. It also suspended all but four articles of Satversme and ruled that during the transitional period the Constitution of the Latvian SSR and other laws would remain applicable as long as they did not contradict articles 1, 2, 3, and 6 of Satversme, which were reinforced by the declaration.

It was provided that a committee to elaborate a new edition of Satversme should be created. Social, economic, cultural, and political rights were granted to citizens and residents of Latvia in accordance with international human rights. The declaration also stated that Latvia would form its relationship with the Soviet Union on the basis of the Latvian–Soviet Peace Treaty of 1920, in which the Soviet Union had recognized the independence of Latvia as inviolable "for all future time".^[3] 4 May is a national holiday in Latvia.