Liepaja council faces contest to choose new deputy mayor

Liepaja City Council will choose a new deputy mayor after Jānis Džeriņš was elected to Latvia’s 15th parliament on the United List ticket, LSM reported. His departure has sparked political tension over who should take the post.

The 15-member council includes nine representatives of the Liepaja Party, with the others from the National Alliance and the Latvian Association of Regions. The deputy mayor’s position and the chairmanship of the Education, Culture and Sports Committee, both previously held by Džeriņš, are now up for allocation.

Salvis Roga, elected to the council from the Latvian Association of Regions and now unaffiliated with any party, wants to become deputy mayor. He said the results of the municipal election, including voters’ marks beside candidates’ names, showed he was suited to the role. The council is expected to decide on his candidacy at its November meeting.

Roga previously chaired the Education, Culture and Sports Committee but was removed in June amid rumours that he planned to change his political affiliation. He said the committee chair’s role offered the opportunity to set the agenda.

National Alliance representative Vilmārs Vecvagaris said the choice should be based on a candidate’s suitability and expertise rather than party affiliation. The Liepaja Party also plans to nominate one of its council members but has not said who.