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Latvia's Unity party to play leading role in forming new coalition gov't

Xinhua, December 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

Latvia's center-right Unity party is determined to play a leading role in forming the next cabinet after Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma announced her resignation on Monday.

The party will start discussing possible premiership candidates later in the day, Unity Secretary General Artis Kampars told the public TV channel LTV7.

He said his party had known about Straujuma's intention to "reset the government," but it had not been clear when exactly this might happen,

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis, who was earlier mentioned by Straujuma as her possible successor, told Latvian Radio that it would be up to Unity to pick the next prime minister.

Kozlovskis also said he and Straujuma only had a brief chat at a cabinet meeting on Monday, adding that they did not manage to discuss the prime minster's resignation.

Kozlovskis, who is also a Unity member, stressed that the party must be able to nominate its candidate for prime minister and voiced his confidence that "Unity will cope with this task."

He also declined to comment on speculations about him as the next prime minister before the matter has been discussed within the party.

Raivis Dzintars, one of the leaders of the right-wing National Alliance, which is also a partner in Latvia's current coalition government, said Unity might form the next coalition but the next prime minister should enjoy stronger public support.

Straujuma, who had been prime minister since January 2014, announced her resignation after an unscheduled meeting with President Raimonds Vejonis on Monday morning.

Her current cabinet was formed in November 2014 after Unity won the parliamentary elections. Endi