Jānis Čakste

Jānis Kristaps Čakste (; 14 September 1859 – 14 March 1927) was a Latvian politician and lawyer who served as the first head of an independent Latvian state as the Chairman of the Latvian People's Council (1918–1920), the Speaker of the Latvian Constitutional Assembly (1920–1922), and as the first President of Latvia (1922–1927).

Youth Čakste was born in the Lielsesava parish of Dobele county in Courland Governorate, the son of a wealthy peasant farmer. He received his primary education at St Anne's Primary School, and entered the Academia Petrina in Jelgava, where he participated in student "evenings" advocating Young Latvian ideals.

In late 1916 Čakste departed for the United States on a tour to propagate the idea of Latvian national self-determination, but the trip was cut short in Stockholm with the news of the February Revolution in Russia. In Stockholm he published a pamphlet Die Letten und ihre Latvia: Eine lettische Stimme, where he declared that: The Latvian people want to protect their nationality, keep their homeland Latvia united, and achieve unlimited opportunities and freedom to lead their national, cultural, and economic development in Latvia. Following the death of Vilis Olavs in early 1917, Čakste also succeeded him as chairman of the Central Committee for the Provision of Latvian Refugees. After returning to Latvia in spring, the Russian Provisional Government appointed Čakste the provisional commissar of Courland. In addition, he joined the recently formed Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS).

Following the October Coup in late 1917, Čakste began working in the foreign department of the Latvian Provisional National Council, where he prepared addresses to foreign governments protesting against the German occupation of Baltic territories. On 17 November 1918 at the first session of the Latvian People's Council, conceived as a representative body of the new Latvian state, Čakste was elected its chairman in absentia, as he was at his country home at the time. While informed of his election, he did not manage to arrive in time for the declaration of Latvian independence the next day, and the act was proclaimed by the vice-chairman, Gustavs Zemgals.

In 1919 Čakste travelled to the Paris Peace Conference as the leader of the Latvian delegation, establishing relations with foreign diplomats and even attempting to draft a request for reparations from Germany – which did not receive support from the Entente states. On 13 July 1919 he returned to Latvia and resumed his duties as the Chairman of the Latvian People's Council. While undertaking his responsibilities as a statesman, Čakste continued teaching at the law school of the newly founded University of Latvia. In November 1919 he was given the rank of full professor, but in 1924 – the degree Dr. jur. honoris causa.

First head of state of an independent Latvia Čakste and President of Finland Lauri Kristian Relander during Relander's 1926 official visit to Latvia. In the background, the Foreign Minister of Finland Eemil Nestor Setälä to the right.

After the first free elections to the Constitutional Assembly of Latvia, Čakste was elected its Speaker on 1 May 1920, thus again assuming the role of the provisional head of the Latvian state. His runner-up in the elections was the renowned poet and LSDSP deputy Rainis. Two years later, at the first session of the first Saeima of Latvia on 7 November 1922 Čakste was elected unopposed as the first President of the Republic of Latvia, with 92 Saeima members voting for his candidacy and 6 against – the highest number of votes ever given to a candidate in a Latvian presidential election. As President, Čakste's responsibilities were largely ceremonial, even though he continued to pay close attention to foreign affairs, especially to the international position of Latvia as a young European state in the world. During his tenure, he promulgated 402 laws, sent three laws back to the Saeima for review, and pardoned 549 people. He caused some controversy in 1926 when he pardoned a prominent writer and a former head of the rival pro-German Latvian puppet government Andrievs Niedra, who was serving a sentence for treason. However, Čakste also insisted on Niedra's leaving the country after the pardon. At the same time, Čakste left the LZS for the Democratic Centre party due to Ulmanis' autocratic leadership style within the party.

For the presidential elections of 1925, Čakste's name was proposed by the Democratic Centre, while Rainis was put forward by the LSDSP and Kārlis Ulmanis – by the LZS. In the first round, the incumbent president finished third, with 29 votes, against 33 for Rainis and 32 for Ulmanis. When the Social Democrats decided to withdraw Rainis's candidacy, much against the latter's will, Čakste won the election with 60 votes.

Death

Jānis Čakste died in Riga on 14 March 1927 before the expiration of his second three-year term, and was buried at the Forest Cemetery in Riga. He is the only President of Latvia to die in office.

Family

He was married to Justīne Čakste, born Vesere, and they had nine children. His son, Junior Lieutenant Visvaldis Čakste, died from wounds received in the defence of Jelgava in 1915. Another son, Konstantīns Čakste (1901–1945), a lawyer like his father, became one of the leaders of the Latvian national resistance during World War II and the Chairman of the Latvian Central Council, set up in February 1943 as the underground Latvian national government. Konstantīns Čakste was arrested by the Gestapo and died in a forced march from Stutthof concentration camp in February 1945.