Anatolijs Gorbunovs

Anatolijs Gorbunovs (born 10 February 1942), is a Latvian politician who served as the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet during the final years of the Soviet regime in Latvia and as Chairman of the Supreme Council of Latvia during the first years after the country regained its independence.

In the latter capacity he was effectively the acting head of state before the election of the Fifth Saeima in 1993. He continued to serve as the Speaker of the Saeima until 1995.

Early life He was born on February 10, 1942 in Pilda Parish (now Ludza Municipality) in the family of farmer Valerīnas Gorbunovs. From 1962–1965, he served in the Soviet Armed Forces. In 1970 he graduated from the Riga Polytechnic Institute, and in 1978 from the Academy of Social Sciences under the Central Committee of the CPSU. In 1959 he worked at the Nikrāce state farm in the Skrunda district of the Latvian SSR, the Latgiproselstroi institute and the RPI. From 1969-1970, he was secretary of the RPI Komsomol committee, then first secretary of the Kirov district committee of the Leninist Communist Youth League of Latvia (LKSM) in Riga.

Political career From 1974 to 1988, he held various positions in the Communist Party of Latvia, with his highest position being the Secretary of the Central Committee. Unlike many other Communist Party members in Latvia, Gorbunovs supported the Latvian independence movement. From 1988 to 1990 he was also Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. In 1990, he presided over a session of the Supreme Soviet that declared the Soviet Union an occupying power, voided Latvia's accession to the Soviet Union, and began a transitional period to independence. Gorbunovs remained as chairman of the body, renamed the Supreme Council of Latvia, until 1993. When Latvian independence was restored de facto in 1991. As speaker of the parliament, Gorbunovs became State President per the 1922 Constitution until 1993, when Guntis Ulmanis was elected president. Awards Order of the Badge of Honour (USSR, 1981) Certificate of Honor of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Latvian SSR Honorary Member of the University of Latvia (1991) Order of the Three Stars, 2nd Class (1995) Order of the Dannebrog, Commander 1st Class (Denmark, 1997) Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class (Estonia, 2002) Medal of the Baltic Assembly (2011) The Cicero Award of the Latvian Academy of Sciences (2012)