Labour Unions, Latvia, Legislation

Janis Kuzins.

Kuzins, a former member of the Jurmala City Council and various Russian political organizations, currently the head of Jurmala branch of Harmony, one of the parties that make up the Harmony Center political association, and chairman of the "Association against Nazism", has been highly active recently.

"We believe that the current government has done all it could, and no changes that they were talking about before the 11th Saeima elections have taken place – everything is getting worse, and we have no right to stand by and watch how the coalition parties and the government keep breaking their election promises, lying to the nation, and ignoring the social partners," the confederation says in a statement.

"The only way to put an end to this farcical nihilism, increasing poverty and social injustice" is a new election, said Kuzins, urging other non-governmental organizations, trade unions, political parties, unions and society to support the signature drive for dissolution of the 11th Saeima.

Kuzins complains that his confederation sent a letter offering changes to the 2012 state budget last year already to the Saeima Budget and Finance Committee and the finance minister, proposing that the non-taxable minimum be increased, personal income tax be cut for residents with dependants, that the minimum wage be raised, but all these demands were ignored by parliament and the Finance Ministry.

"The 10th Saeima was dissolved in a referendum staged following the president's decree, who said that Saeima was working in the interest of corrupt officials and oligarchs, and not upholding the principles of the rule of law. Before the 11th Saeima elections, we offered all political parties to sign a cooperation memorandum and a social responsibility agreement, to jointly battle corruption, strive for the rule of law and social equality. Unfortunately, none of the coalition parties signed the agreement and the memorandum, thus showing their ideological nihilism," explained Kuzins.

The confederation urges residents to support the campaign financially by transferring their donations to the confederation's bank account. The signature drive sheets will be available on May 28 in Riga, at 38 Lacplesa Street, as well as from the confederation's website, www.lnakonfederacija.lv.

According to the Constitution's Article 14, the motion for dissolution of parliament must be signed by at least one-tenth of voters for a referendum to be organized. If the majority of referendum participants vote for dissolving parliament, but no less than two-thirds of voter turnout in the previous Saeima elections, parliament will be deemed dissolved.