Emsis decides not to step down

  • 2007-09-05
  • By Talis Saule Archdeacon

RIGA - Parliamentary speaker Indulis Emsis announced on Sept. 3 that he plans to remain in his post, the third most powerful in the country, despite the public embarrassment of having admitted to carrying a large amount of unaccounted for cash in his briefcase while on the job.
The announcement came less than a week after the speaker said that he was prepared to step down over suspicions of corruption, which surfaced after it was reported that he had carried $10,000 in his briefcase last October and then left the briefcase in the Cabinet of Minister's dining hall.
"I still believe that I can fulfill my duties until the Prosecutor General's Office has issued an explanation. If nothing changes in a week, I will ask the [Greens and Farmers Union] board for their point of view once more," Emsis said.

The prosecutor's office has refused to comment the reports, saying only that Emsis had visited their office on Aug. 30 for questioning.
The speaker has repeatedly said that prosecutors have not made their position clear on his case and that the current situation "cannot last forever." This has led him to ask the prosecutor's office to clarify their position so that he can re-evaluate his situation.
"I consider myself to be a mouse, and I am waiting for the cat to say his word. Then the mouse will reply," he said.
His decision to stay on came shortly after a meeting with his party 's the Greens and Farmers Union, a member of the ruling coalition. Both the timing of the announcement and the rhetoric surrounding the case indicate that Emsis has placed his fate in the hands of his party and the prosecutor's office.
"Pressure has been put on him 's he is emotionally dependent on his group," sociologist Aigars Freimanis told the daily Diena.

ZZS Chairman Augusts Brigmanis told journalists after the board meeting that members had decided the speakers resignation was "not necessary at all" due to  a lack of information that might prevent him from successfully doing his job.
While the lawmaker has decided that he will retain his post for the moment, he has relinquished his foreign policy duties throughout the week. Emsis had planned to make an official trip to Finland, which he canceled on fears that his current situation may harm Latvia's reputation.

He explained that the "shadow of suspicions" that is being "circulated by the mass media over and over" has made it impossible to carry out his foreign policy work. In a statement to the press, Emsis said that deputy speakers Vineta Muizniece from the People's Party and Karina Petersone from LPP/LC will fulfill his duties until further notice.
Emsis has also asked Parliament's Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee to evaluate whether he has broken any of the ethical standards lawmakers are subject to. More specifically, he wanted to ascertain whether the allegations surrounding his case could affect Parliament's prestige or raise doubts about his ability to properly do his job.
Emsis fell under suspicion when he told police that he lost a briefcase containing $10,000 in cash in the Cabinet of Ministers. When investigators found the briefcase in the hands of a waiter at the building's cafe, it only contained $6,500. Emsis then changed his statement, claiming that the briefcase had in fact initially only contained $6,500.

The speaker continues to deny all allegations that have been laid at his feet, saying that he has "no grounds for doubt" about his activities over the past year.
"I do not see, perceive or feel anything illegal in my activities," he said.
The speaker claims that he had borrowed the money from an acquaintance in order to buy a new tractor for his farm, but investigators suspect that the money was for other purposes.