In his highly anticipated address, the president said he would not dissolve the legislature (photo courtesy of the office of the president of Latvia)
In a Jan. 14 ultimatum to the previous government, one day after Riga was rocked by riots, the President vowed to initiate the dissolution of parliament should demands not be met by the March 31 deadline.
Zatlers, who did not stipulate a new deadline, expressed confidence that remaining amendments to the Constitution that would empower voters to call snap elections via a referendum would be approved by the new government by April 8.
In a patriotic charged address to the nation on March 31 Zatlers said the political situation had now changed and that dissolving parliament would only create further economic and political uncertainty in the recession hit Baltic State.
He also acknowledged that progress had been made on most of his demands mentioned in the ultimatum, including the formation of a new government, amendments to parliament election law and the appointment of a new director to the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), which has been without a head for more than six months.
An economic stimulus plan and reforms to the system of national governance are also underway.
"I know very clearly that we cannot allow the political crisis to escalate to its final level. I expect the government and Parliament now to propose the route which Latvia must take, and I expect them to do so in the very near term," he said.
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