Slesers threatens ethnic unrest in Latvia

If during the next elections Harmony Center receives even more votes than it did in the last elections, but the attitude of the other parties toward Harmony Center does not change and it is not be included in the government, Latvia could become "a miniature Ukraine," claims politician Ainars Slesers in an interview with the daily Diena.

Slesers’ party did not make it to the current parliament, and is desperately trying to return, using slogans of “national reconciliation.”

The voter, however, is left wondering what "national reconciliation" Slesers is referring to, as there is no major ethnic divide in Latvia.

One is also reminded of a recent survey, in which Slesers was voted as one of the least liked politicians in Latvia.

He now believes that, if other parties agree on the principle "we will not allow Harmony to rule," then, after the elections, this party might dissolve. But there will be no reason to rejoice, because "Lindermans, Osipovs, Zdanoka, others" will replace it, unite and show that they are the "right ones."

"And believe me, the moment the moderate Harmony does not exist any more, and the real radicals come to power, many people will prefer them as they will be more frank - they will express people's opinions and urge them to take action," said Slesers.

"Revolutions are organized by (...) the minority! It provides a momentum, and the crowd starts to grow larger. Therefore, we have to do everything in our power in order not to allow consolidation of these radical powers," he added.

While running in the next parliament elections, Slesers hopes to come to reach agreement with Harmony Center about cooperation. "My aim is to develop an alternative coalition to the current one, which would consist of those who are not in power today, and who would create a united government model before the elections, which, together with all the ministers and programs, would be presented to society, and the new coalition members would sign an economic and national reconciliation program. In order to develop a coalition alternative to the current pseudo-rule-of-law coalition," says Slesers.

"May we have two great powers like in America." By this, Slesers apparently means that the two great powers in Latvia’s government would be a 'Latvian' party, and a 'Russian' party.

He appears also to not understand how Latvian government works, in that the ruling coalition is built based upon common interests among member parties, those that can gather together enough support to secure a stable leadership.

Even though Harmony Center gained the most votes in the last election, this, in Latvia’s system of government, doesn’t mean that they have “won” and have earned the right to take over leadership. Part of their problem is that Harmony Center can’t attract enough of the other Saeima members to form a stable majority government, as other parties don’t want to join with them, seeing the party as backed by, and pushing Moscow's interests.