Stakis to continue as nonpartisan Riga mayor

RIGA - Riga Mayor Martins Stakis will continue as a nonpartisan mayor.

At a press conference today, Stakis said that that he had spoken to almost all Riga coalition partners, except For Development of Latvia, and that everyone had expressed support for him and the current coalition.

Stakis plans to discuss the situation with For Development of Latvia group at the Riga City Council in the near future and also hopes for this group's support. He believes that even if For Development of Latvia does not support him, the coalition will not be destabilized as it has support of 38 out of 60 councilors. For Development of Latvia is represented by three councilors at the municipality.

Stakis said that it would be easier for him to "work for the people, businesses, solve the problems of Ukrainian refugees" if he was not a member of any political party.

Stakis repeatedly emphasized that he was very surprised by the decision of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry to suspend the Riga spatial plan. He believes that it was possible to continue discussions on the disputed sections of the plan, and the ministry should have endorsed the rest of the plan.

Stakis added that he had not had a meeting with Environmental Protection and Regional Development Minister Arturs Pless (Development/For) about the spatial plan and that the local government was not aware of the ministry's pending decision until the very last minute.

As reported, after Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry's decision to suspend the Riga spatial plan, Stakis said he was resigning from the Movement For party and therefore also left the group of For Development/For at the Riga City Council.