Party congresses call for change, keep leaders

  • 2007-11-28
  • Staff and wire reports

CLOSE CALL: MEP Roberts Zile barely managed to hold on to party leadership, beating his opponent by only four votes.

RIGA - The Nov. 24 party congresses of the People's Party and For Fatherland and Freedom 's both ruling coalition parties 's called for significant changes at a time of deep crisis in Latvian politics, though observers intimately familiar with the parties said the speeches amounted to nothing more than lip service.

"A new, more open and reasoned working style will surely be necessary… If you cannot work professionally, leave the seat to another person," Prime Minister and People's Party chief Aigars Kalvitis said at his party's congress.

During the meeting, party founder Andris Skele, in response to calls that he be ousted, called for a snap vote on whether he should be allowed to continue as a party member.

The result of the vote was strongly in Skele's favor 's only three of the 403 delegates who attended the meeting voted for his dismissal. The congress passed amendments to the party statutes giving Skele "advisor" status in party board meetings, thereby cementing his right to participate in the party's most vital policy formation meetings.

Kalvitis said that Skele's role is overplayed in the media, saying that the lack of public debate is the reason many party and coalition decisions are improperly perceived in society.

"Issues are being moved forward or stopped, but there are no analytical discussions held on them. No wonder it seems from the outside that the real decisions are being made elsewhere," the prime minister said.

Skele, for his part, said that while the government has brought prosperity to the country, the party needs to admit its mistakes and adhere more strictly to its charter. He laid out a number of goals the government should meet economically, politically and socially.

Nevertheless, the congress drew criticism from former members Artis Pabriks and Aigars Stokenbergs for failing to come up with any concrete measures addressing the current crisis in the government.

"It's a pity. No proposals whatsoever on how to overcome the crisis," Stokenbergs was quoted as saying.
The two politicians, who recently co-founded a new NGO which may eventually become its own party (see Story on Page 14), also attacked the congress for its apparent reaffirmation of Skele's behind-the-scenes manipulations.

Stokenbergs even went so far as to call the party a "personality cult" and accuse the party of being run by a "dummy board."

Meanwhile, For Fatherland and Freedom narrowly voted in favor of allowing MEP Roberts Zile to continue as the party's chairman. Zile was approved by a margin of only four votes in the 302 person congress.

Opposition candidate Girts Kristovskis, who has previously been highly critical of party leadership, said he would not split the party as was widely rumored before the vote.

"I am ready for discussions with him, even though our opinions differ on many questions," he said.
Kristovskis said that the large number of votes against Zile shows that the party is ready for change.
Former President Vaira Vike-Freiberga also mocked the congresses.
 
"Complacency and demonstrative statements to the party members and the people 's we feel very satisfied with ourselves. Perhaps except for some minor issues for some people. Basically, everything is correct, everything is in order. We do not have anything to assess in depth or change," she told Latvian Radio when asked to assess the two congresses.

Vike-Freiberga referred to Kalvitis as the People's Party's sacrificial lamb which is being fed to the wolves.