The three-party political association “Development/For!” is still using the 48-hour deadline to formulate its position in relation to the dismissal of the Minister of Health, Ilze Viņķele. Candidates for Viņkele's successor are promised this week. Among the potential health ministers, no one is yet willing to start work in the position.
One of the potential successors to Viņķele is the Saeima deputy and the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Ilmārs Dūrītis.
"My own feeling is that we must continue to find compromises in this time of crisis in the coalition and continue to work, because it would hardly be right to create a political crisis in the country at this moment. I will say that the party's board has not yet decided about the candidates, or named any. And I haven't received any specific offer," Dūrītis said.
“Development/For!” politicians also have mentioned the name of the Saeima deputy Andris Skride, but he promises to stay in his position.
Skride pointed out that the “For!” half of the political alliance should delegate the minister, because Viņķele also came from this party. He added that he was also busy in his job as a doctor.
Currently, non-political medics are referred to as potential health ministers in different contexts, but they reject the opportunity. For example, Liene Cipule, Director of the Emergency Medical Services, said she would stay in her position because now more than ever there is a need for a stable and strong emergency service.
Doctor reanimatologist and vice-president of the Latvian Association of Doctors Roberts Fūrmanis has also been mentioned as a candidate.
“I haven't even considered that. What I mean is that someone in this position has to be a distinguished crisis manager. The current situation is not simple, the current situation is extremely complicated and extremely difficult decisions are ahead. It is necessary to be able to focus quickly on the current situation, to be able to make a decision, since errors in this situation are no longer allowed. And a mistake in this situation can be fatal for someone,” Fūrmanis said.
“Development/For!” chairman in the Saeima, Daniels Pavļuts, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate, but he has been evasive about the subject.
