Kulbergs: Work on draft of new government's declaration continues
Kulbergs, tasked with forming Latvia's new government after the 15th Saeima elections, is preparing a first draft of the government declaration to share with potential coalition partners. He says agreement on what the government will do must come before deciding who will do it.
Efforts to form Latvia's new government after the 15th Saeima (parliament) elections are continuing. Kulbergs, whom the President has charged with putting the government together, is preparing the first version of the government declaration. The draft will later be passed to potential partners for review and negotiations, and it will shape which political forces make up the next coalition.
"First we must agree on what the government will do, and only then on who will do it," the politician said. According to his earlier public statements, the talks will be built around specific tasks and a programme of change, not the distribution of posts or coalition arithmetic.
Priorities and partners
Kulbergs has said voters gave a strong mandate for change in the 15th Saeima elections. In his view, the next government's priorities should be putting public finances in order, economic growth, strengthening national security and reforms in public administration. Cooperation will be offered to the political forces ready to support such a programme.
Edgars Tavars, chairman of the Latvian Green Party, which is part of the United List (AS), earlier told the news agency LETA that potential coalition partners will be assessed on their readiness to agree on the work to be done and to back the necessary changes. He added that no form of cooperation is currently ruled out, including a minority government.
Earlier developments
President Edgars Rinkēvičs, after consulting all political forces elected to the 15th Saeima, announced that Kulbergs should take on the task of forming the new government. The President expressed hope that significant progress in building the coalition would be visible by early November, and said the new government should preferably be in place by 18 November.
The United List won the elections convincingly, taking 41 seats and becoming the largest political force in the new parliament.
