Government: Parliamentary democracy. Electoral system based on that existing before Soviet annexation; 1922 constitution restored in 1993. Saeima, supreme legislative body, composed of 100 members elected on basis of proportional represen-tation. Saeima elects president (head of state), who appoints prime minister. Cabinet of Ministers, headed by prime min-ister, has administrator power.

Judicial System: Inherited from Soviet regime; undergoing reorganization. Regional, district, and administrative courts, as well as Supreme Court. Final appeals in criminal and civil cases made to Supreme Court.

Politics: Parties include Latvia's Way (Latvijas Cels), centrist in orientation; Democratic Party Saimnieks, center-left; Latvian National freedom Movement; Popular Front of Latvia; For Latvia, far-right; Latvian Farmers Union; Christian Demo-cratic Union; National Union of Economists; and Ravnopraviye (Equal Rights Movement), a Russophone group.

Administrative Divisions: Four provinces: Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme, and Zemgale; subseparated into twenty-six districts, seven municipalities, fifty-six towns, and thirty-seven urban settlements.

Foreign Relations: Latvia joined United Nations (UN) in September 1991 and is a signatory to a number of UN organizations and other international agreements. Member of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (until January 1995 known as Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe), North Atlantic Cooperation Council, and Council of the Baltic Sea States. In February 1994, Latvia joined Partnership for Peace program of North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Some improvement in relations with Russia after Russian troop withdrawal in August 1994.