Parties ask president to take more active role in PM talks

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Following Aldis Gobzems' (KPV LV) failure to come up with a supported cabinet plan, president Raimonds Vējonis is to start the third round of talks with all the parties represented in the Saeima.

He will be meeting the parties separately, and the parties agree that, two months after the Saeima election, talks for making a cabinet will not be simple.

Artis Pabriks, the PM candidate of the Development/For! party, told Latvian Radio December 11 that a compromise should be sought to create a new government.

"We have to bury the hatchet and our tomahawks, sit down at the table and realize once and for all that neither Martians nor any others will come to create a government in our stead; it's up to us, the politicians," he said.

He also said that it's realistic to come up with a new cabinet by Christmas and singled out the New Conservative Party (JKP) as one without which it's all but impossible to shape the new government.

JKP leader Jānis Bordāns said that the party's principal positions remain unchanged. The party has consistently said it will not enter a coalition with the Greens and Farmers Union (ZZS), which it regards as an oligarch-controlled party.

"Since the notice by the US Ambassador about the grave situation in Latvia as concerns corruption, it's clear that JKP's principled stance is not making things out in black and white terms," said Bordāns.

"JKP will be in the core of any government, which will take into account our requirements, namely moving towards a change in politics and not accepting the parties responsible for the current situation into the government," he said.

Meanwhile ZZS head Armands Krauze said that even though his party does not rule out cooperating with JKP, "red lines" and personal grievances make shaping a new cabinet very difficult.

National Alliance head Raivis Dzintars meanwhile said that it's too early to tell whether it's possible to come up with a new cabinet by Christmas. 

"A lot depends on the president's actions...having a neutral mediator would serve a better result," he said.

"I think [the president] should take an active stance in the talks. If he names a candidate, he should present arguments for his choice and try to make sure that there'll be support for him and that he fits the parties' interests. What I'm saying is he should assume the role of a leader in the practical aspects of carrying out the talks," he said.

As reported, on December 10 President Raimonds Vējonis announced that he was withdrawing his nomination of KPV LV's Aldis Gobzems as PM.

This followed an unsuccessful attempt by JKP to bolster up support for their PM candidate, Jānis Bordāns. 

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