Latvia’s Parliament, the Saeima, voted today to re-elect Martins Kazaks as president of the Bank of Latvia. Opposition votes were needed to ensure his re-election.
Kazaks received 67 votes against 18, with four abstentions. Kazaks was supported by all lawmakers from New Unity and the Progressives who were present, as well as by most lawmakers from the United List. The only exception was Didzis Smits, who voted no.
Kazaks was also supported by legislators from the National Alliance and some from the Latvian Alliance of the Green Party and Farmers Union. Janis Vucans from the Greens/Farmers voted no, while three other representatives of the alliance – Liga Klavina, Gunars Kutris and Harijs Rokpelnis – abstained.
Lawmakers from the Stability party and the Latvia First party voted against Kazaks.
Prime Minister Evika Silina posted congratulations on Twitter to Kazaks on his re-election at the central bank, reminding him that the institution is of key importance in ensuring financial stability, promoting economic development, and strengthening confidence both domestically and internationally.
“I wish you luck to continue to street Latvia’s financial policy with professionalism and clarity, thus strengthening our economic security and sustainable growth,” the PM wrote.
This was the second attempt to elect the president of the Bank of Latvia. Last December, Kazaks was one of three nominees for the post along with Reinis Berzins, who was board chairman of the Altum developmental finance institution, as well as Pavels Kuzmins, who was nominated by the opposition party Stability.
Kazaks was nominated for a second term by New Unity and the Progressives, but the Alliance of the Green Party and Farmers Union, which was also part of the coalition, said no and nominated Berzins instead. Opposition parties at the time were not prepared to vote for Kazaks, and in the end, all of the coalition parties withdrew their candidates and said that they would try to agree on a single nominee.
During the second attempt, the coalition announced that the candidate would be Santa Purgaile, the deputy president of the Bank of Latvia, while the opposition United List and National Alliance plumped for Kazaks.
In the end, Purgaile withdrew her nomination from consideration, which opened the way for Kazaks’ nomination and re-election.
Source: BNS
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