Consultations on new coalition must continue - Valainis

RIGA - Negotiations on the formation of a new coalition should continue, Viktors Valainis, chairman of the board of the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), told LETA today after Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) announced his resignation today.

In his opinion, Karins' decision is logical. The current government is at an impasse and the resignation is logical.

Nothing changes in the current political situation for New Unity, ZZS and the Progressives. Political consultations have already taken place and must continue.

Valainis believes that the New Unity as the largest faction in the Saeima should nominate its prime ministerial candidate. In turn, all the political forces mentioned above should continue political consultations and start intensive work with the new prime minister-designate on the government declaration.

The New Unity is not the kind of party where political objectives change when one person changes. The main thing is to agree on the work that should be done, said Valainis.

As reported, Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) is stepping down, he announced on Monday.

Karins told a press conference today that he would submit his resignation to President Edgars Rinkevics during their meeting this coming Thursday.

With Karins' resignation, the entire Cabinet of Ministers will step down, paving the way for formation of a new government where the coalition will expectedly be made up of New Unity, Union of Greens and Farmers, and the Progressives.

Karins' original decision to stay on as the prime minister after he announced a new round of coalition talks was one of the main objections from his former coalition partners, National Alliance and the United List, which claimed that this was against the Constitution.

According to the law, Cabinet members will continue to work until Saeima approves a new government.