Andrey Levkin: Zatlers decided to cut

Valdis Zatlers, President of Latvia dismissed the Sejm. More precisely, he initiated a referendum on his dissolution.

This is such a Latvian nuance: Latvia is a parliamentary republic, the president is elected a Sejm (there are a hundred deputies). But he has the right to influence a referendum on the dissolution of the parliament. If the referendum supports the president’s proposal - new elections. And if it does not support, then the president himself automatically goes to resign. The Sejm was chosen last fall. The action of Zatlers is the first case of using this constitutional option .

Zatlers announced his decision live on Saturday. The CEC should hold a referendum after 60 days. Until this moment, the parliament is “suspended”, in particular, cannot choose a new president - and Zatlers’s term ended on July 7. The situation is new and not quite understandable, but the presidential employees did everything from the legal side ; Yes, everything is legal, he could do this even on the last day of his term, and the way out of the situation is that either he would resign or the new composition of the Sejm will choose a new president. It may seem that Zatlers took this step then to extend the term of his authority, but this is not a entire accurate assessment. In this option, the election of the new president will be held soon - in early October. In addition, before the announcement of the referendum, the Sejm retains legal capacity, so that it may well have time to choose a new president.

Cause

The reason was stated in the appeal itself . In short, he did not like how the Sejm behaves - referring to the emerging votes when their object is associated with corruption. In particular, he mentioned that the last parliament was not approved as the Prosecutor General, who was nominated by the head of the judiciary, the chairman of the Supreme Court. And already the new composition of the Sejm did not approve the judge of Yudin.

In general, the word for the word and deed has come to the statement of Zatllers that Latvia managed to exit in the last three years from the crisis, but this was done at the expense of citizens themselves (in fact - a reduction in salaries, social expenses, raising taxes, unemployment and other joys). Where does the question come from: why all these sacrifices, if in the end the country has only an increase in the profit of the oligarchs (this word is used).

Since Latvia is a small country, the word "oligarchs" does not mean some indefinite citizens, everything is quite specifically. Everything was on Pietiek.com ( Translation of Delfey ): “President Valdis Zatlers decided to dissolve the Sejm after the prosecutor Eric Kalnmeyers gave him information about the criminal process in which the names of the Latvian oligarchs appear. In an interview with the prosecutor, the president received new information about large corruption schemes related to the political influence of Aivar Lembergs (SZK - the Union of Green and Peasants), Andrisa Shkelet (NP - the People's Party) and Ainars Schlesers (LPP/LC Latvian first batch/Latvian path). " In particular, these are cases related to the Riga trading port.

All this, of course, is no news, but last Thursday the Sejm refused to issue the sanction of Knab (the Bureau for Combating Corruption and its Prevention) for searches at the place of residence of Shlesers. It is clear that there was no longer the operational meaning, it was a public warning, but the proposal did not gain votes. In cases of Lembergs and Shkel, everything is simpler: the first is not a deputy, and the second does not live in his real estate - here Knab has no problems with the consent of the Sejm.

Why is it to Zatlers yourself?

Of course, it is inevitable that in this way Zatlers wants to try to be elected for a second term (he confirmed that he would not withdraw his candidacy from the elections - whenever they are now happening). With a calm course of affairs, that is, with the current composition of the Sejm - he, it seems, would not have chosen. While 46 had votes for him, five were not enough. But the dissolution of the Sejm here does not necessarily help, now it is extremely difficult to predict the alignment after the election (if the referendum confirms the dissolution of the Sejm). Zatlers has no reason to expect that the alignment will change in his favor. Of course, no support from the parties, whose sponsor leaders he pushes to the court, can no longer be, and these are now 30 deputies. Which, of course, will affect the election of the new president before the referendum (if there is a consensus candidate). Although, of course, voting against Zatlers now means to be clear for whom. Then, after all, the referendum will take place, and the Sejm will be blocked (most likely). And in this form go to the polls?

However, Zatlers himself is not such a vault: all these three oligarchs regarding the populism in Latvia outside of competition. We can say that Zatlers to some extent reflects the point of view of the elite, which these three have long been tired of their homegrown egoism. But the elites will have to create at least some support structure, and with the consistency of actions, the elites always have problems.

Yes, there was a message right there that the Unity party (and this was the Premiere Party Premier of Dombrovskis) is ready to accept Zatland and, in general, will support his candidacy for the following presidents. This, in fact, is rather an emotional and demonstrative action. Not so much for Zelevles as against this trinity.

If you pretend how the future Sejm will be arranged and who can support Zatlers there, then it is very possible, this is “consent”. But here is his own problem: the mayor of Riga Neil Ushakov after an extremely unsuccessful attempt to run the city marathon, ended up in the German clinic. Unfortunately, the matter is serious, so he will not be able to somehow participate in the elections. Actually, he himself, as a deputy, would not have run, but as the mayor he would have been quite contributing to the promotion of the party - at least a face on its posters. But the chances that he will regain the legal capacity for autumn are not too great.

Some Russian aging commentators already had statements like: “But whoever will allow the Mayor of Riga to be Russian” with subsequent thoughts on the topic that he was poorly for a reason, eh for a reason ... So, conspiracyglists with violent versions should be shut up.

In other words, not particularly building the prospects, Zatlers decided not to take a chance, but to do at least something specific for his presidential term (which may turn out to be the only one). I considered it necessary to do this. After all, he is not a career politician, but a surgeon. At least, he ruined the image with these three.