Latvia, Legislation

The decision to extend the deadline for applications from November 21 until December 5, which Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis (Latvia's First Party/Latvia's Way) said was necessary as he had not have time to approach possible candidates, is contradictory to the Cabinet of Ministers' instructions that he himself had endorsed, Transparency International-Latvia points out.

The decision will further aggravate judicial nihilism in the country, as well as undermine the legality of the competition, the organization emphasizes.

The search for a new head at the bureau has been put off since Aleksejs Loskutovs was dismissed as the bureau's head this past June, however, the Cabinet of Ministers' decision to prolong the deadline, not taking into account that several candidates had already applied to become candidates for the post before the deadline, and the public justification of this decision cause even more doubt in the Cabinet's desire to select a candidate based on professional criteria, instead of political loyalty, Transparency International-Latvia is convinced.

In the organization's announcement to the media, it emphasizes that the economic crisis must not become a cover-up for the systematic destruction of Latvia as a law-based state. Furthermore, the anti-corruption agency is especially important in the current situation when the country's economic stability is threatened and strategic financial decisions are being made, Transparency International-Latvia emphasized.

As reported, the government decided on Wednesday to prolong the deadline for applications for the vacant position of the Corruption Prevention Bureau head from November 21 until December 5.

So far, five candidates have applied: the Corruption Prevention Bureau Deputy Chief Juta Strike, former Saeima deputy and interior minister Janis Adamsons (Harmony Center), Riga Region Public Order Police senior inspector Aivars Tirumnieks, Security Police senior inspector Arturs Zvejsalnieks and the Regional Development and Local Government Affairs Ministry's Deputy State Secretary Artis Stucka.