The board of Latvia's Way party nominated Riga Mayor Andris Berzins as a candidate for the prime minister's post on Sunday evening, April 16, Latvia's Way spokeswoman Dace Gulbe said.
Published:
25 April 2000 y., Tuesday
Berzins was nominated from six potential candidates of the party and he initially had stated he does not want to hold the office and wants to work in the municipality. The prime minister's seat became available with the resignation of Prime Minister Andris Skele on April 12 following the loss of his coalition support over his sacking of Minister of Economy Vladimirs Makarovs.
In contrast to Latvia's Way member Aija Poca, who categorically refused to head a Cabinet in which a post is held by Skele, Berzins confirmed to media he does not have objections to Skele being a minister.
All board members voted in support of nomination of Berzins except himself. Latvia's Way Chairman Andrejs Pantelejevs told reporters that the board's decision would be given to Latvia's president. He expressed a hope that President Vaira Vike-Freiberga would respect this choice in the event the
potential coalition partners agree to support Berzins. He said Berzins had put forward as a condition to run for the prime minister's post, the stable support of his party members, which was affirmed by the board's voting. The board had given Berzins the right to veto any ministerial candidate.
Berzins, who arrived for the meeting of Latvia's Way from the ice-hockey game between the Latvian and Finnish national teams, stressed to thenews media that putting ultimatum-like claims to the coalition partners is not possible. He said he is ready to assume the prime minister's post and feels good about it, but "his heart would stay in Riga." The other possible prime minister candidates of the party were MP and former Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis, economist Ojars Kehris, Foreign Minister Indulis Berzins and Transport Minister Anatolijs Gorbunovs, whose nomination was not even coordinated with him by the party's chairman. Gorbunovs categorically declined to hold the premier's post.
Šaltinis:
BNS
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