All of Riga City Council’s coalition members New Unity, National Alliance/Latvian Association of Regions, Kods Rīgai and Par/Progressive factions are invited to attend the new coalition negotiations on Tuesday, the 25th of July, said acting mayor of Riga Vilnis Ķirsis.
New Unity believes that there could be individual meetings. This is why the party is prepared to participate in mutual meetings with Progressive Party. At the same time, the party
things four-party talks should be the main format,
said Ķirsis. Progressive party plans to meet with New Unity on Tuesday.
When asked what is the deadline for completion of negotiations to form a new coalition in Riga, the acting chairman said he would like to see it done as soon as possible, but the Progressive Party are “not very fast with this process”.
When asked about the most important tasks the city council needs to accomplish in the remaining less than two years of its remaining term, Ķirsis said there are more than 30 points on the list of priorities.
The New Unity member mentioned important transport-related projects like the Eastern motorway, Brasas Bridge and construction projects in Mūkusala. He also mentioned the Vanšu Bridge’s reconstruction and
the transition to teaching in Latvian language only in schools in Riga.
As previously reported, the former Riga City Council coalition partners have opposing views as to which political party has the right to propose candidates to take the seat of Mayor of Riga.
New Unity, National Alliance/Latvian Association of Regions and Kods Rīgai believe that they should get the right to select a new chairman. The Par/Progressive bloc, however, want their own candidate. PP representative Justīne Panteļejeva previously said that the two parties has heard the proposal, but has yet to consider supporting it.
So far New Unity, National Alliance/Latvian Association of Regions and Kods Rīgai have rejected all proposals from Par/Progressive party – reducing the number of vice-chairmen posts from three to one and distributing sectors of responsibilities, taking away from New Unity the transport sector.
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