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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Thursday, 28.03.2024, 16:52

President of Latvia plans to meet with parties elected to 13th Saeima next Thursday and Friday

BC, Riga, 10.10.2018.Print version
President of Latvia Raimonds Vejonis will meet with representatives from the political parties voted into the next parliament on Thursday and Friday of next week, informs LETA.

He told members of the press after a meeting with Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis today that he will first meet with the parties which won the fewest seats in the next parliament, and conclude his talks with the parties which won the greatest number of seats.


The president said that he has given political parties time to meet with one another to discuss the formation of the next government, and expects that the parties will present to him next week possible government coalition models, as well as their vision of the new government's work.


Vejonis added that it is important to him that the next coalition will continue Latvia's current Euro-Atlantic course and foreign policy, and that he must be confident that the new government makes no changes in this course.


''At the same time, we must continue to invest in our defense and make sure that the defense budget will be no less than two percents of GDP. Also important it to continue the necessary healthcare and education reforms,'' he added.


Vejonis also said that the prime minister candidate, as well as ministerial candidates, must also be able to obtain the necessary security clearance to do their work.


Asked whether he could nominate Harmony to form the next government, Vejonis said that this party has won elections in the past but has not been capable of finding the necessary partners to form a majority in parliament.


''The so-called Latvian parties have already said that they do not plan on cooperating with Harmony, thus they do not have a majority in parliament. I must be confident that the potential prime minister candidate is capable of ensuring a majority in Saeima and that his or her ministers are also able to obtain majority support,'' Vejonis said.

 






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