President to nominate Kulbergs as prime minister

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics is set to nominate United List leader Andris Kulbergs as prime minister on Wednesday, LSM reports.

Rinkevics announced shortly after the 15th Saeima election in October that he intended to ask Kulbergs, whose party won the vote, to form the next government. The president could formally sign the nomination only after the previous government resigned on November 3.

After the nomination, Kulbergs plans to continue talks on forming a government. He and the president hope to have a government in place by the November national holiday.

The 15th Saeima held its first sitting on November 3 and confirmed its powers, bringing the 14th Saeima’s work to an end. A caretaker government remains in office until a new one is formed.

The United List won 41 seats in October’s election. Latvia First secured 17, Sovereign Power/Association of Young Latvians 15, the National Alliance and the Progressives 10 each, and New Unity seven. The Union of Greens and Farmers, a partner in the previous coalition, failed to pass the five percent threshold and will not be represented in parliament for the first time in the party’s 24-year history.

Turnout was 51.79 percent, or 806,641 voters, the lowest ever recorded in a parliamentary election. A coalition with the National Alliance would give Kulberg’s government a narrow majority; adding New Unity’s seven MPs would provide broader support. Two-party and three-party coalitions have both been discussed.