NEWS FLASH: Kalvitis to quit on Dec 5

RIGA -- Latvian Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis has confirmed that he will step down on Dec. 5.

Kalvitis announced his decision after a Nov. 7 meeting with President Valdis Zatlers, who has gone on the record saying that the government should resign once it has passed a budget for 2008.

The Dec. 5 deadline should give Kalvitis time to push the budget through as well as ratifying a definitive border treaty with Russia and possibly also completing reorganisation of local government.

However, it seems that Kalvitis intends the government itself should continue even after his departure. According to a report in Nov. 8's Dienas Bizness, he will appoint new ministers for Economy, Foreign Affairs and Welfare before his departure, a signal to Zatlers that a dissolution of parliament would be untimely.