Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga officially nominated on Nov. 7 current Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis to maintain his post in the country's next government.
Vike-Freiberga sent a letter to the presidium of the Latvian parliament. Legislators are expected to decide whether or not to nominate Kalvitis on Nov. 7. The current coalition partners, the conservative People's Party, the bloc of Latvia's First Party and Latvia's Way (LPP/LC) and the Greens and Farmers Union (ZZS), invited the nationalist For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK (TBL//LNNK) to join the coalition.
Former economics minister Aigars Stokenbergs from the People's Party is set to become municipal affairs minister, and Jurijs Strods from TB/LNNK will be appointed as economics minister. Gaidis Berzins, from TB/LNNK will become justice minister.
Normunds Broks, a representative of TB/LNNK, has been nominated to head the secretariat of cooperation with EU financial institutions.
Kalvitis became prime minister on Dec. 2, 2004, a month after the previous government led by Indulis Emsis from ZZS resigned. He had previously served as economics and agriculture minister.
The new coaliton have 59 votes in Latvia's 100-seat parliament.
