Six Zatlers Reform Party (ZRP) members quit the political force on Sunday, October 16, at the same time announcing their support to the next Valdis Dombrovskis’ govenrment.

Party members elected in the 11th Saeima – Klāvs Olšteins, Elīna Siliņa, Gunārs Rusiņš, Jānis Upenieks, Viktors Valainis and Jānis Junkurs ground their decision with “undemocratic decision-making and mutual distrust” prevailing in ZRP.

Former members of ZRP will set up a group of independent parliamentary members.

ZRP is consequently left with 16 deputies since 22 members of it were elected in the Saeima. The next coalition can now be completely sure only about 50 votes, instead of the previous 56, made up by three right-wing parties.

“We believe that the party’s decision-making mechanisms are in sharp contrast with the principles of honesty, openness and cooperation ZRP is advocating. According to the statement of the six deputies, initially the programme drafting process was highly democratic. Many professionals took part in it. However, now a small group of people have usurped power in the party. They form the so-called “core of the party”.

They also point out that party members’ initiatives are being ignored. “Since ZRP decision-making is non-transparent and decisions are coordinated neither with party members and the newly-elected Saeima deputies, nor ZRP board members, leaving the party is the only thing we can do not to betray our voters.”

In terms of the decisions the six former party members were not informed about, these include nominating Edmunds Sprudzs as ZRP prime minister candidate and inviting Harmony Center (HC) to form coalition hand in hand with ZRP and Unity.

It is also stressed in the statement that before the elections it was made clear that ZRP would first collaborate with Unity, then the national association and only then HC. However, afterwards neither the party members, nor the newly-elected deputies were notified that HC would be given the priority.

The six former members of ZRP are not satisfied with the way the national association was chosen as the third coalition partner either. “Despite most of deputies support the move, we believe that the fact the newly-elected parliamentarians are left uninformed contradicts principles ZRP stands for.”

“Since we are not allowed to work in favour of the state and our voters, we have decided to quit ZRP and build a group of independent Saeima deputies. We hope voters will understand us and we are waiting for suggestions of how to organize our political activities further on. They will definitely be based on justice, honesty and transparency,” it is said in the statement.

According to the deputies, their move will not put any obstacles in way of the new government formation and they guarantee their support to Valdis Dombrovskis as the Prime Minister.

The following ZRP members were elected in Riga: Edmunds Sprūdžs, Vjačeslavs Dombrovskis, Kārlis Eņģelis, Inga Bite, Valdis Liepiņš;  in Vidzeme – Valdis Zatlers, Romualds Ražuks, Gunārs Rusiņš, Elīna Siliņa, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Jānis Upenieks, Guntars Bilsēns, Latgalē – Juris Viļums and Gunārs Igaunis; in Kurzeme – Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Inita Bišofa, Jānis Junkurs and Edmunds Demiters; in Zemgale – Klāvs Olšteins, Jānis Ozoliņš, Inga Vanaga and Viktors Valainis.

As reported, the newly-elected Saeima is to held its first session on October 17. HC won in the emergency parliamentary elections, gathering 31 mandates, followed by ZRP – 22, Unity – 20, AFL-FF/LNNK – 14 and GFU – 13.

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