Uzulnieks says he will take Saeima seat if elected

Former welfare minister Reinis Uzulnieks says he will accept a seat in Latvia’s parliament if elected and work to reduce alcohol use and other addictions. He made the comments in a public statement reported by LSM.

Uzulnieks said he had decided to take up the mandate and work to help society’s most vulnerable groups. He said he had also decided to stop drinking alcohol, describing it as a personal commitment he had made to himself and his family.

He acknowledged making a serious mistake and said he wanted to learn from it and show through his actions that he could change. Uzulnieks also said several organisations had approached him and work had begun on establishing a new trade union to support people working in the social sector.

Uzulnieks was detained on September 12 for driving with more than three per mille of alcohol in his system. He lost his ministerial post and was expelled from the Latvian Farmers’ Union, part of the Union of Greens and Farmers, but kept the top position on the alliance’s election list in Zemgale.

He cannot be removed from the list unless a court ruling applies in one of the cases specified by law, and no such ruling has been issued. Leaving his party does not affect his candidacy, as election lists may include people who are not party members.