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RIGA, May 28 (LETA) - While hearing one of the lawsuits lodged over Latvia's administrative territorial reform, the Constitutional Court has ruled the merge of the Varaklani Region with the Rezekne Region unconstitutional, LETA was told at the court.

Meanwhile, the court found the merger of the Sigulda Region, the Garkalne municipality and Vangazi with the Ropazi Region to be in line with the Latvian Constitution.

Sanita Osipova, Chief Judge of the Constitutional Court and her deputy Aldis Lavins are due to inform about the court's judgment at a news conference today.

Varaklani Region Council argued that the region's merger with the Rezekne Region infringed on right of Varaklani which was included in the Rezekne Region without properly considering the option to merge it with the Madona Region. 

The court agreed that by ignoring the wishes and interests of Vakarlani residents the legislator took an arbitrary decision. 

Commenting on the Constitutional Court's ruling, Vakarklani Region Mayor Maris Justs (United for the Region) said that the verdict was an indication that some "remnants of democracy" still exist in Latvia. 

As reported, residents of the Varaklani Region had called on the Saeima to merge Varaklani with the Madona Region. Local resident Viktors Vilkauss cited a survey in which 84 percent of respondents had expressed the wish to join the Madona Region, with which Varaklani has had close administrative, economic and cultural ties for more than 60 years.

In a separate case in March, the Constitutional Court ruled the merger of the Skulte municipality with the Saulkrasti Region unconstitutional.