Talks on new Latvian gov't postponed until Wednesday

Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma and three would-be coalition partners on Monday postponed their talks on Latvia's new government until Wednesday, Oct. 22, the premier told journalists Monday.

Representatives of center-right Unity party, the centrist Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) and right-wing National Alliance party are now expected to convene for their next three-way meeting on Wednesday morning.

The three ruling parties were supposed to continue talks on Monday, but the meeting was put off.

Last Friday, the parties failed to strike a deal on the distribution of ministerial portfolios in the new coalition government. Roberts Zile of National Alliance told Baltic media BNS last Friday that the environmental protection and regional development ministry had become the bone of contention between the National Alliance and ZZS.

National Alliance's Aigars Lusis and ZZS's Aivars Lembergs who are both involved in the talks, said in an interview with Latvia's LNT TV channel Monday that Unity should come up with fresh proposals on the distribution of ministerial portfolios and treat the two other parties as equal partners.

"Unless they (Unity) take a fresh look at the issue, I think it will be difficult to end the impasse. The good thing is that work on the government declaration is under way. I believe that the National Alliance should be given one more ministry and the Unity should make concessions on that. Then there might be some rotation between ZZS and the National Alliance," Lembergs said on LNT.

Lusis predicted that the new government might be approved on Nov. 5.

After Latvia's 2014 general election that took place on Oct. 4, the three ruling parties have 61 of the 100 seats in Latvian parliament, the Saeima. Endit