Unity, Greens and Farmers look to form government

RIGA - As negotiations continue over who will participate in the next ruling coalition, Unity has announced that it will team up with the Greens and Farmers' Union to form the core of the new government.

The two parties would control a slim majority in Parliament. Talks are ongoing with the nationalist alliance "All for Latvia/for Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK" over whether that smaller faction will take part in the coalition.

Talks broke down with the left-leaning, pro-Russian rights party Harmony Center, which took the second most votes in the elections, after the party refused to back down on some of its key campaign points.

Unity had demanded that Harmony Center recognize that Latvia was occupied by the Soviet Union and that it give up attempts to make Russian an official state language.

"We cannot withdraw these conditions as they are clear and logical. Latvian language and the occupation issue are the foundation," said Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis.