Bartaševičs said he had become acquainted with the order of the responsible minister and had made a decision on how he would proceed.
"I will appeal to the court at the end of the week to challenge my dismissal. It can be clearly stated that there is no justification for my dismissal, only the desire of one political force to suspend me," Bartaševičs said.
The Ministry of environmental Protection and Regional Development (VARAM) explained in a statement to the media at the beginning of November that the chairman of Rēzekne City Council was being dismissed for significant and systematic violations while heading the work of the City Council and being in charge of the organization and management of the local government budget implementation process. The violations, as well as the fact that the mayor has not provided factual, true, comparable, understandable, and complete information regarding the financial situation of the local government and regarding the preparation and implementation of the local government budget, indicate the inability of the chairperson of the city or municipality council to fulfil his or her duties, said the statement.
It should be recalled that, following a similar ministerial order to suspend the mayor Nils Ušakovs (Harmony), he also contested it in court. The final judgment came four and a half years after the suspension. The Supreme Court pointed to the power of control of the minister responsible as well as the right to suspend the City Council President.
