Firing Cilinskis ‘right decision,’ says Straujuma

  • 2014-03-18
  • From wire reports, RIGA

Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma has requested All for Latvia-For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK (VL-TB/LNNK) to nominate a new candidate for the minister of environmental protection and regional development, reports LETA.

Straujuma said after the coalition council's meeting on Monday, March 17, that releasing the current minister, Einars Cilinskis (VL-TB/LNNK), was the “right decision,” as the government had previously decided that ministers could not participate in either the March 16 Latvian Legion Day events at the Freedom Monument, or in the May 9 (Soviet victory day) events in Pardaugava.

VL-TB/LNNK co-chairman Raivis Dzintars said, on the other hand, that his party strongly disapproved of this decision. Sacking a minister who is working well "for no good reason," is unjustified, he said.

Straujuma has officially called for the resignation of Cilinskis because Cilinskis had confirmed to her personally that he did not intend to adhere to the government decision and would participate in March 16 events by the Freedom Monument, events that honored Latvia’s WWII war veterans.

VL-TB/LNNK has four candidates to head the Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry, said party co-chairman Dzintars. However, he refrained from naming specific candidates, pointing out that the party has decided not to favor any of the candidates.

Dzintars said that the party still needs some more time to evaluate the candidates, and thus will not mention specific names at the moment.