JV asks government to delay Gorkšs appointment

Latvia’s New Unity party has called for a delay in appointing Kaspars Gorkšs as director of the State Chancellery, saying it needs answers about his qualifications. LSM reported that the party wants the appointment removed from next week’s Cabinet agenda.

New Unity parliamentary group leader Edmunds Jurēvics said Gorkšs had been invited to a group meeting. He said the party wanted answers to a number of questions before the Cabinet considered the nomination.

The State Chancellery director leads the institution that supports the daily work of the Cabinet and the prime minister. The Cabinet appoints the director.

The prime minister’s office said the proposed appointment remained on the agenda for next week’s Cabinet meeting and that no change was planned. Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs of the United List has said Gorkšs was the strongest candidate and had the experience needed to carry out the changes he had set out for the State Chancellery.

The Union of Greens and Farmers plans to support Gorkšs’s appointment, party parliamentary group leader Harijs Rokpelnis told the LETA news agency. He said the State Chancellery director helps ensure that government decisions are put into practice, and described Gorkšs as a capable leader who can defend sectoral interests and work respectfully with political groups holding different views.