RIGA - The re-election of Martins Kazaks as the governor of the Bank of Latvia will be a good result, but the nomination process did not go smoothly, Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) told reporters on Wednesday.
Asked what the main stumbling blocks were, Silina said that the process had been rather politicized. Last December, New Unity and the Progressives nominated Kazaks for a second term, but when they saw that he would not be supported by a Saeima majority, the parties withdrew his nomination.
"This process [...] was certainly not easy for me either, because it took a lot of time and energy to understand how we were going to arrive at a single candidate supported by the coalition. But it is the result that is important," said the prime minister.
At this time, Kazaks has the support of a majority of MPs, said Silina. There are no doubts about his reputation and that he meets all the criteria that the coalition has put forward, she added.
As reported, at least 61 Saeima members are likely to support Martins Kazaks' reappointment as Bank of Latvia governor, according to LETA's estimates. The ruling New Unity and the Progressives, as well as the opposition United List and National Alliance have pledged their support for Kazaks.
New Unity and the Progressives decided to back Kazaks for the position after Bank of Latvia after Deputy Governor Santa Purgaile withdrew her nomination on Monday. Purgaile decided against running for the post after realizing that she does not have the backing of the entire coalition, as the Union of Greens and Farmers refused to vote for her.
2025 © The Baltic Times /Cookies Policy Privacy Policy