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Centrists name Maris Kucinskis as candidate for Latvian PM

Xinhua, January 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

The centrist Greens and Farmers Union (ZZS) on Monday named MP Maris Kucinskis as the party's candidate for Latvia's next prime minister as the center-right Unity looked increasingly unable to agree on a candidate that could be acceptable by the majority of lawmakers.

The ZZS board unanimously agreed to propose Kucinskis as a candidate for the post of prime minister, the local media quoted ZZS representative Dace Karklina as saying.

She also indicated that ZZS would not back a candidate proposed by any other political party, including Unity.

"The candidates for prime minister that have been discussed so far lack public support and also the backing of the parliament's majority, which is why the ZZS board feels that the government formation process risks running into a deadlock," Karklina said.

Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis, who is expected to formally designate a candidate to head Latvia's next government, is in Sweden on Monday and will make his position known only on Tuesday, his office said.

After Finance Minister Janis Reirs and Valmiera city mayor Janis Baiks both declined the office of prime minister, President Vejonis had a meeting with Karlis Sadurskis, chairman of the parliament budget committee of the Unity party, but his chances of becoming prime minister also looked slim on Monday. Enditem