Election victors look at coalition options

RIGA -- "Unity" (Vienotiba), the winners of the weekend's elections in Latvia, have begun the long process of government formation now that the final make-up of the next parliament has been finalized.

Unity will get 33 seats in the 10th Saeima, followed by "Harmony Center" with 29 seats and the "Greens/Farmers Union" with 22. "For A Good Latvia" and "All For Latvia-For Fatherland And Freedom/LNNK (VL-TB/LNNK)" will both take 8 seats. 

Unity spokesmen announced Monday that they had come to an agreement with the Greens/Farmers Union and that in principle the two parties would be willing to work together in government.

"We discussed continued cooperation possibilities, and we are ready to work jointly," Current Prime Minister and Unity leader Valdis Dombrovskis was quoted by LETA as saying.

With 55 seats together, the two parties would hold a majority without having to work alongside the runner-ups Harmony Center -- a pro-Russian rights party that many in Unity have said they would refuse to work with directly.

Nonetheless, LETA reported that Unity has already come to an agreement with Harmony Center. The agreement, though vague, lays the groundwork for further cooperation and even leaves open the possibility of Harmony Center receiving a ministry portfolio.