Opposition MPs table motion of no-confidence in Interior Minister Golubeva

RIGA - A group of opposition lawmakers on Thursday tabled a draft resolution calling for a vote of no-confidence in Interior Minister Marija Golubeva (Development/For) over her alleged incompetence and inability to assess risks. 

The draft proposal has been submitted by Aldis Gobzems (For Him and Her), Karina Sprude (For Him and Her), Ramona Petravica, Maris Mozvillo (For a Humane Latvia) and Ralfs Nemiro, as well as independent lawmakers Julija Stepanenko, Lubova Svecova, Eriks Pucens (Republic), Kaspars Girgens (Republic) and Inguna Ribena. 

The opposition MPs assume that in line with the timeframe stipulated in the Saeima Rules of Procedure, the parliament might vote on no-confidence in Golubeva next Thursday, May 19. 

The opposition lawmakers argue that the "interior minister has failed to assess possible provocations and likely security risks" and that the no-confidence motion is being proposed because of Golubeva's "evident and total incompetence". 

As reported, the National Alliance's Saeima group and board will demand that Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) fire Interior Minister Marija Golubeva (Development/For) following the events at the monument to Soviet soldiers in Riga's Pardaugava on May 9 and 10, as the alliance's representative Laima Melkina told LETA.

If Karins and coalition partners do not take into account the National Alliance's opinion, the party will have to quit the ruling coalition and recall its ministers from the government, the National Alliance said in a statement.

"What every loyal resident of Latvia experienced in on May 9 and 10 is unacceptable. It cannot be considered a minor incident," said the head of the National Alliance's Saeima group, Raivis Dzintars. Every effort must be made to ensure that this situation never happens again, he said.

As reported, regardless of officials' calls on residents to commemorate victims of Russian aggression in Ukraine on May 9 and not to attend the monument to Soviet soldiers, people still went to lay flowers at the monument in Riga's Pardaugava, albeit in significantly smaller numbers than in other years.

The next morning flowers were removed from the monument. A couple of hundred people gathered in the vicinity of the monument in the evening of May 10, behaving aggressively and impudently and praising Russia and justifying its aggression in Ukraine. Police chiefs have acknowledged that the police were not really ready for this, but eventually the police cleared the gathering and detained the most vocal protesters.

The police then closed access to the monument.

Commenting on these developments, Golubeva said those who praised Russia's aggression or used Russian symbols had been detained, including a young man with the Russian flag. "The police defended the rights of Latvian citizens, also using force when necessary," the politician emphasized. Golubeva said on May 11 that she was not considering resignation.