RIGA, Sept 16 (LETA) - Latvian President Egils Levits has returned the new Law on Local Governments back to the Saeima for revision, pointing at three significant problem issues, LETA learned from the President's Chancery spokeswoman Justine Deicmane.

In his letter to the Saeima, Levits said that the regulations provided in Part 2 of Article 58 should be coordinated with Article 101 of the Constitution, noting that only Latvian citizens and citizens of the EU who permanently reside in Latvia can be elected members of the residents' council.

Also, only Latvian citizens and EU citizens permanently residing in Latvia should have the rights to vote for candidates for member of residents' council.

The president proposes to add description of residents' council competence in Article 58.

At the same time, the president notes that in order to avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretations, residents' councils should be renamed to local communities' councils so that they are not mixed with different local consultative councils and committees that ensure public engagement in the work of the local governments.

As reported, the Saeima in the final reading adopted the new Law on Local Governments. The new law describes general operations of local governments, their competence, institutional system, the authority of local councils, their institutions, council chairmen and executive directors.