Zatlers says United List needs strong leader in parliament

Latvia’s United List will need a strong political leader to head its parliamentary faction after its victory in the 15th Saeima elections, former president Valdis Zatlers told Latvian Radio, according to LSM.

Zatlers said other factions could try to split the United List’s group in the Saeima, Latvia’s parliament. He said the party would need someone with strong character and a good reputation to lead the large faction.

He said the scale of the party’s support had surprised him and brought new risks and challenges. “When you have a large lead, you also have a different responsibility,” he said. The United List still had work to do to become an effective team, he added.

Zatlers also said that if Andris Kulbergs is asked to form the next government, he will focus on its work. “I hope there won’t be a situation where the prime minister has to go to parliament to rally the faction,” he said.

Provisional results showed the United List, led by Kulbergs, had won the election. A total of 806,641 people, or 51.79% of eligible voters, took part, according to the Central Election Commission. LSM reported that this was the lowest turnout recorded in a Saeima election.