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Turlais fails to survive confidence vote and loses mayor's job

BC, Riga, 20.06.2019.Print version
Riga mayor Dainis Turlais (Honor to Serve Riga, GKR) today failed to survive a confidence vote and lost his mayoral position, reported LETA.

Turlais was removed from office as 31 members of the city council voted against him and 29 supported him in the ballot. The councilors voting against Turlais included the entire opposition, independent councilor Oskars Putnins and four politicians that were recently expelled from Harmony party.


If the Riga City Council does not elect a new mayor in two months, Saeima will be able to dissolve the city council and call a snap election in Riga.


Meanwhile, 28 coalition councilors and opposition councilman Imants Keiss (New Conservative Party, JKP) voted in support of Turlais.


Turlais was elected Riga mayor on May 30, shortly after the city’s ruling coalition split up. The opposition initiated a no confidence vote against Turlais to test his ability to secure majority support on the city council.


As reported, the ruling coalition of Harmony and GKR split up after Turlais was elected the capital city’s new mayor. Four Harmony members – vice mayor Vadims Baranniks, Valerijs Petrovs, Aleksejs Roslikovs and Vitalijs Dubovs – were expelled from the group for what has been described as “gross violations”.


The four lawmakers expelled from Harmony party have formed an independent faction and said that they are ready to cooperate with all Riga City Council lawmakers.


The city council’s opposition, meanwhile, has ruled out cooperation with the coalition of Harmony and GKR.






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