The names of nearly all candidates for minister posts in Latvia are known. This inspires hope that the Saeima may vote on the approval of the new government this month. The only ministry that does not seem to have a candidate is the «hot potato» – Ministry of Health.
New Unity revealed the names of six of its candidates. The party called them «a team of experienced leaders». However, these candidates have received approval only from New Unity and Unity boards. Now candidates have to be approved at a joint congress of New Unity.
On Thursday, the 8th of December, Unity’s board will gather in order to «discuss the advisory report about the chosen candidates». On Monday, the 12th of December, there will be a congress of New Unity political party. This is when members of the party will make their decision.
14th Saeima deputy and Unity’s board chairman Arvils Ašeradens is proposed to become the next Minister of Finance. In the previous Saeima he served as the head of the Education, Culture and Science Committee. In the past he also served as the Minister of Economics, parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of Finance, as well as parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of Welfare.
Edgars Rinkēvičs is the sole candidate for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs. He has worked in this post for the past eleven years. In the past he also worked as the head of the State President’s Chancellery and state secretary to the Ministry of Defence.
Saeima deputy Inese Lībiņa-Egnere is the candidate chosen by the party for the post of Minister of Justice. In the 13th Saeima she served as vice-speaker and the head of Latvia’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Saeima deputy and current head of the parliament’s Budget and Finance Committee Anda Čakša. In the past she served as Minister of Health and vice-chairperson of the Social and Employment Matters Committee.
For the new Ministry of Climate and Energy the candidate picked by Unity and New Unity is Saeima deputy Raimonds Čudars, who was the chairman of Salaspils City Council until last month. New Unity stresses that under his leadership Salaspils created a modern heating system and one of the biggest solar panel parks in the Baltic States.
Evika Siliņa is the candidate picked for the post of Ministry of Welfare. She is experienced working with legislation for financial, interior affairs and welfare sectors. She has also worked with demographic and child safety issues in the past. Her previous post included parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of the Interior.
The National Alliance has also picked its own candidates to fill posts in ministries entrusted to the party. Unlike New Unity, however, this party does not have any additional procedures for approval of officials.
The Ministry of Economics, for example, is planned to be entrusted to Ilze Indriksone. Nauris Puntulis remains the party’s candidate for the post of Minister of Culture. Ināra Mūrniece is the party’s candidate for the post of Minister of Defence. She previously worked as Saeima speaker and as a member of the National Defence Council and National Defence Committee.
Jānis Vitenbergs is the party’s candidate to manage the Ministry of Transport. This politician previously served as Minister of Economics. He first entered the political stage as a member of KPV LV, but later switched sides and joined the National Alliance.
According to the party, Vitenbergs received the highest amount of support from voters in Zemgale.
The Combined List three-party union has announced that candidates of this party will be named in on Tuesday, the 6th of December. Rumours, meanwhile, suggest that Didzis Šmits may be picked for the post of Minister of Agriculture, Māris Kučinskis is a likely candidate to fill the post of Minister of the Interior, and Māris Sprindžuks is a possible candidate for the post of Minister of Environment Protection and Regional Development.
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