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Latvian Saeima confirms new Straujuma government

BC, Riga, 22.01.2014.Print version
Saeima today confirmed the new Laimdota Straujuma (Unity) government, as she becomes Latvia's first ever female prime minister. 64 Saeima members supported Straujuma's new government, 27 voted against, while four abstained, informs LETA.

The opposition's Harmony Center voted against the new government, while two independent MPs Vladimirs Reskajs and Inga Vanaga abstained. Two coalition MPs Valdis Liepins (Reform Party) and Juris Vilums (Reform Party) did not participate in today's vote, as well as two other independent MPs – Inga Bite and Davis Stalts.

 

Straujuma told members of the press after today's vote that she understands the responsibility that she has undertaken, and that her colleagues in the new government also understand this.


Commenting the fact that several Reform Party MPs did not participate in today's vote, Straujuma said that this is most likely due to objections having the Union of Greens and Farmers become a part of the new coalition, as well as Daniels Pavluts (Reform Party) being turned down as economy minister. She added that she was not surprised by this.


At the same time, the new prime minister emphasized that the Reform Party's board made the decision to be a part of this government, thus she believes that the Reform Party will be a constructive partner. Straujuma said that it is ''important to work and look for compromises, instead of arguing and doing nothing at all''. She promised to do everything in her power so that coalition partners could come to agreements, and not allow disagreements to delay the work of the government.


The new government is made up of the current coalition parties – Unity, Reform Party, All For Latvia-For Fatherland And Freedom/LNNK (VL-TB/LNNK) and six independent MPs – plus the Union of Greens and Farmers, formerly an opposition party.

 

Besides Prime Minister Straujuma, Unity is represented in the new government by Health Minister Ingrida Circene, Education and Science Minister Ina Druviete, Finance Minister Andris Vilks. Unity and the independent MPs also share responsibility for the Transport Ministry, which is headed by non-partisan Transport Minister Anrijs Matiss.

 

VL-TB/LNNK is represented by Environmental Protection and Regional Development Minister Einars Cilinskis, Justice Minister Baiba Broka and Culture Minister Dace Melbarde.

 

Agriculture Minister Janis Duklavs, Welfare Minister Uldis Augulis and Defense Minister Raimonds Vejonis represent the Greens/Farmers Union in the government.

 

The Reform Party's representatives in the new government are Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis, Economy Minister Vjaceslavs Dombrovskis.

 

As reported, the outgoing Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (Unity) announced his resignation on November 27 last year, taking political responsibility for the Zolitude tragedy where 54 people died as the roof of a "Maxima" supermarket collapsed.

 

This past August, Dombrovskis marked 1,633 days in office, becoming Latvia's longest-serving serving premier since the restoration of independence and the longest-serving democratically elected PM in Latvia's history.










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