There are no insurmountable disagreements left among members of the forming coalition in Latvia, said member of the National Alliance and Chairman of Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Rihards Kols in an interview to LTV programme Rīta panorāma.
New Unity politician Arvils Ašeradens predicts the vote for the approval of the new government may take place in the Saeima around the middle of December.
According to Kols, the writing of the government declaration is going fast. He adds he sees no insurmountable obstacles left in the coalition members’ way, even in the most difficult sectors. For example, although parties still cannot agree on the topic of taxes, Kols remains optimistic that compromises will be found.
Parties have successfully completed negotiations in the topics of defence and foreign affairs. An agreement has been reached for tasks to be done in these areas. The deputy adds that meetings are scheduled for 29th and 30th of November, so that parties can continue working on the declaration.
Parties no longer discuss the topic of distribution of sectors of responsibilities because a general agreement has been reached.
The National Alliance plans to announce candidates for minister posts once the government declaration is finished.
The Foreign Affairs Committee currently does not have a majority in for the forming coalition. However, Kols allows that once new deputies enter the Saeima once the government has been approved, representatives of the coalition will be placed in multiple committees. He also expects the balance of power to equalise in the committee led by him. The member of NA is also confident the forming government will last.
New Unity member Arvils Ašeradens agrees that the vote in the Saeima for the approval of the new government may happen sometime in December.
However, it is important to keep in mind that the time it will take to form the government will depend on how long Saeima will require to pass necessary legislative drafts, explained the politician.
Before the parliament can vote on the approval of the new government, it is first necessary to pass accompanying amendments to the State Administration Structure Law. It is also necessary to pass amendments to the Cabinet Structure Law, so that it is possible to create the new minister post – Minister of Climate and Energy.
New Unity representative also said the work that continues on the government declaration is optimal and most partners have found common ground. Depending on the progress, the first «lap» could be completed by the middle of the week. Immediately after that the government will start on the other staged of negotiations, said Ašeradens.