Saeima has appointed a new ombudsman after Romans Apsitis, who turns 72 this year and whose term expired February 28.
There has, as always in Latvia in such contexts, been much speculation about who will be the successor.
Saeima's decisions has been to appoint Juris Jansons, attorney at law and known as the liquidator of the health insurance company Rigas slimokase (RSK).
Jansons seems to meet all formal criteria, and is obviously well qualified for the mission. Thus, no shadow to fall on him! He will from now on be judged on the work he does. However the political management, prior to the appointment, gives a bad after taste, which at worst could be a harbinger of what may come.
Juris Jansons was nominated by the opposition party, the Harmony Center. Thus, there was no majority in the Saeima. The prerequisite for him to be appointed was further parliamentary support. This proved to come from the governing party the Union of Greens and Farmers.
It was exactly here that the political management went wrong. In a nomination procedure like this, the government parties must hold together in order to find a common name!
It's easy to say that what happens once is nothing! And of course, if this does not happen again, it's not a major accident. But if this is a start of a bad habit it could be an extremely bad sign. In Latvia's recent history it is not uncommon that it starts like this and it ends with the resignation of a government.
Elections in October last year gave a clear mandate to the two governing parties, Unity and the Union of Greens and Farmers, to do what was necessary. That creates great demands on all involved which, from time to time, also will lead to friction. But a government must live up to these requirements. Otherwise it will in the long run not be able to fulfill its obligations.
Much work has been done - and Latvia is currently on track - but it is also much that remains. These problems also need a stable government’s attention. It is therefore important that the unfortunate handling of the Ombudsman issue will be a one-off.
(Andra intressanta bloggar om politik, Lettland, Baltikum, Europa)
(Andra intressanta bloggar om politics, Latvia, Baltcs, Europe)
