It would seem that partners of the forming coalition in Latvia have a goal in mind to find seats in the government for specific faction or party members, said New Unity (JV) political party leader Krišjānis Kariņš in an interview to LTV programme Rīta panorāma.
JV leader said the three coalition parties – New Unity, National Alliance (NA) and Combined List (AS) – have agreed on the cooperation memorandum and the distribution of seats in the government.
«I have decided to pay less attention to the nonsense we often hear. […] I will do all I can to have work on the declaration progress. It’s hard to say how long it might take, but one of the partners – AS – has used all kinds of methods to slow the process and make it unnecessarily difficult,» said Kariņš.
The PM said he has spoken with management of parties, AS included, adding that these people say one thing at one point, but then «a respectable Saeima deputy appears on TV and says something completely different». Referencing controversial statements coming from AS, Kariņš said he gets the impression members of the party do not communicate well with one another.
Kariņš described the other memorandum proposal from AS by saying that it would be «nonsense», stressing that the next memorandum should be called »the government declaration».
Putting a vice-minister in the Ministry of Defence was a request from AS as a condition to agree on parties’ respective responsibilities. «I am sceptical about creating other such [vice-minister] posts at other ministries,» said Kariņš, adding that the initial idea was that these would be political posts to help outline the most important sectors, such as science and digitisation.
However, the process has «slowly become a political market», and JV notes that in this situation it would be best to end it there. AS is to receive four ministries in the new government. «If they request one more vice-minister seat – we will see,» said Kariņš.
JV leader admits he is confused by the internal processes that go on in AS – say one thing one day and say something completely different the next year, one person says one thing and another person says something completely different. Kariņš allowed that partners may have plans to put specific people in posts.
«If the prices society has to pay to form a government is creating one or two vice-minister posts, it’s nothing major. It is far more important to compose a government,» the politician stressed.
Kariņš said the initial idea about vice-minister posts, which was mentioned by President Egils Levits, was welcome, as it would help create additional posts in ministries to help expand focus on certain sectors. Vice-ministers will answer to ministers and would have no voting rights in the government.
Kariņš is confident that vice-ministers and ministers should not come from different parties – this would not work.
«Anyone who knows anything about politics understands this is a way to impede work.»
«Vice-ministers should come from the same party, as it was suggested from the start. But now AS requests putting vice-ministers from their party to be assigned to other ministries. NA is fine with this, as it is basically their compromise to help form the government,» said the leader of JV.
As for the proposal from AS to make JV co-responsible for the country’s healthcare sector, Kariņš said his party will not delegate a parliamentary secretary or a vice-minister to the Ministry of Health, as it is planned to be entrusted to AS.
«This is nonsense! The head of the government is responsible for everything regardless. This is how a coalition government functions,» said Kariņš, inviting partners to calm down and trust one another.
More on this topic: New Unity should be in charge of healthcare; AS party suggests signing another memorandum