Latvia gets 5-party govt nearly 4 months after election
Posted January 23, 2019 6:09 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HELSINKI — Latvia’s parliament has approved the Baltic country’s new five-party, centre-right coalition government, nearly four months after a general election, breaking the deadlock on the formation of a Cabinet in the small nation’s highly fragmented political scene.
In a 61-39 vote, the 100-seat Saeima legislature gave the green light Wednesday to Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins’ majority government.
The broad coalition is made up of five of the seven parties represented in the parliament.
Although the Harmony party — favoured by Latvia’s sizable ethnic-Russian minority making up about 25 of the nearly 2 million population — won nearly 20 per cent of the votes and was the largest party, it was left in opposition in a reflection of ethnic tensions.
The Associated Press
