RIGA - Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis announced on Oct. 16 that he will appove of Einars Cilinskis, who ultimately turned down the offer, for the post of economy minister. Kalvitis also said that the government would be eliminating the position of minister for the absorption of EU funds, a post previously held by Normunds Broks.
The announcements came after Kalvitis' meeting with For Fatherland and Freedom, a member of the four-party ruling coalition, which previously held the two posts.
The two ministerial changes are a precursor to a widely expected government reshuffle due to take place in early-mid November. Kalvitis said that he decided to make these particular changes now so that he would not have to continue working as both prime minister and economics minister.
"There are a lot of important issues to be solved... I cannot cover this area [the Ministry of Economy] as a prime minister at present," the prime minister said. He added that the country cannot be left without both a prime minister and an economics minister during his upcoming foreign trips.
For Fatherland and Freedom leader Maris Grinblats said that the party was taken off-guard by the dismissal of Broks, but that they would not "agree or disagree" with the decision, noting only that it was "sad."
Grinblats said that he understood the complex balance that the prime minister needed to strike in rearranging the government, and that he had to keep all of the increasingly discontent coalition members happy.
Kalvitis has held the position of economy minister since the resignation of Juris Strods for personal reasons on Sept 17. The prime minister has delayed appointing Cilinskis 's the candidate nominated by For Fatherland and Freedom to the post 's until now because the goal of the changes is to "improve the work of the ministries," and Kalvitis had been unsure as to whether Cilinskis was the right person for the job.
Cilinskis underwent a surprise change of heart on Oct. 17, however, withdrawing his canidacy and refusing the position.
