Greens and Farmers set to take over initiative as Unity's efforts to agree on PM candidate falter

The centrist Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) appears to be taking over the initiative in forming Latvia's next government amid the center-right Unity party's slow progress to agree on a candidate for prime minister.

Augusts Brigmanis, the leader of the ZZS faction in parliament, told reporters on Monday that ZZS would name its prime ministerial candidate on Dec. 28 regardless of other parties' possible actions.

ZZS said previously it had four possible premiership candidates to choose from.

Earlier on Monday, ZZS Member of Parliament (MP) Maris Kucinskis said on public TV that Unity seemed incapable of forming the new government and that ZZS would probably have to take over the initiative.

Kucinskis, who is among the four possible candidates for prime minister considered by ZZS, has been described by Brigmanis as a respectable choice.

Welfare Minister Uldis Augulis, another possible ZZS premiership candidate, ruled out his candidacy on Monday. The remaining two potential candidates are Agriculture Minister Janis Duklavs and Liepaja city mayor Uldis Sesks, but ZZS has said it might still propose someone else for the position.

President Raimonds Vejonis has called on political parties to put forward their candidates by the end of this year.

A new coalition government has to be formed in Latvia after Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma announced her resignation on Dec. 7. Unity leader Solvita Aboltina was initially seen as the most likely candidate to head the next government, but the right-wing National Alliance's refusal to accept her candidacy, as well as insufficient support in her own party, may have dashed her premiership hopes. Endit