During the discussions about the investigation of possible violations in Riga City Council’s Transport Department on Thursday, the 29th of June, some deputies allowed for the possibility of this conflict between coalition members potentially leading to snap elections.
Einārs Cilinskis admits this situation is a result of the opportunity that lets deputies to vote as they like, which does not necessarily lead to a good result.
According to him, what was discussed in the city council in the past two days will have consequences.
First of all, it will affect the specialists that could have come to work at the city council, said Cilinskis.
Secondly, he believes the coalition of change is over, and certain colleagues have contributed to that. The question is whether the existing city council remains until the end of its term or will there be snap elections.
This is a very serious alarm bell for the current coalition and the city council as a whole, he said.
Kods Rīgai member Dāvis Stalts said that after the Progressive Party voiced the idea about snap elections, he started to understand what is happening.
According to Stalts, organising snap elections two year prior to elections would be anti-governmental action that would benefit the current city council opposition and For Stability political party.
He nevertheless invited colleagues to avoid this outcome.
Other deputies also voiced concerns about being able to agree on anything after all this.
Previously it was reported that after hours of arguments and mutual accusations, Riga City Council approved the legislative draft submitted by New Unity (JV) on the formation of a committee for the investigation of possible violations in the Transport Department.
The city council started viewing this topic on Wednesday, the 28th of June and ended it the next day.
This topic did help underline the discord between coalition partners New Unity and Par/Progressive.
The legislative draft submitted by JV provides for requesting that Riga city’s executive director replaces his advisor Māris Knoks with an investigative committee.
This committee is planned to include officials from Riga City Council’s central administration, as well as supervisors from the Ministry of Transport, Society for Openness – Delna, Latvian Union of Civil Engineers and Riga’s Neighbourhood Alliance.
JV Riga City Council faction turns attention towards the fact that if the inspection is entrusted to workers of Riga City Council executive director Jānis Lange, there is a risk of a conflict of interest. JV faction representatives explain that one official dismissed from the Transport Department in April 2023, in accordance with an order from the Executive Director, was assigned to carry out road and access road pavement restoration works within the framework of road maintenance agreements, which were declared economically disadvantageous by another order of the Executive Director issued in June this year, which is what caused the initiation of disciplinary proceedings.
According to authors of the legislative draft, the violations mentioned in the disciplinary act against officials of the Transport Department are serious and voluminous. This is why they invite compliance with Law On Disciplinary Liability of State Civil Servants and Riga City Council’s internal rules, which require complicated cases to be viewed by an independent committee.
This would ensure officials’ responsibility is not reviewed in a one-sided manner and that no officials whose action or inaction are not involved in the investigation or are able to influence the process.
On the 16th of June, Riga City Executive Director Jānis Lange issued an order to suspend acting director of the Transport Department Jānis Vaivods and the Chief of Transport Infrastructure Office Andrejs Urtāns.
The two officials were suspended after a whistle-blower reported information regarding possible violations in the department. Inspections within the city council commenced soon after this. During the investigation officials uncovered serious violations that indicate illegal and wasteful actions of the department in regards to street asphalt pavement restoration projects.
Par/Progressive faction leader Mārtiņš Kossovičs mentioned after the meeting during which the topic of the investigative committee was discussed that
the ruling coalition in Riga City Council has morally and ethically degraded.
However, according to him, it is still possible for coalition partners to gather and “come up with a plan”.
The politician compared the city council’s decision on the creation of the aforementioned committee to covering a pile of garbage with a fancy veil.
Also read: Riga’s Mayor interrupts meeting; no decision on investigative committee is made