No significant progress on Latvia's next govt as president meets with PM candidates

With negotiations among political parties on Latvia's next government coalition stalling, President Raimonds Vejonis on Tuesday held another round of consultations with potential heads of government, but these meetings produced no significant breakthrough either.

The three candidates for Latvia's prime minister -- Artis Pabriks of the liberal alliance For Development/For, Janis Bordans of the New Conservative Party and Aldis Gobzems of KPV LV -- partly accepted the president's criticism for the slow pace of government formation talks, but said that politicians needed to sort out the situation.

Pabriks, who was the first premiership candidate to meet with President Vejonis in Riga Castle, told reporters after the talks that his government would be likely to secure some 45 votes in Latvia's 100-seat parliament, including those of his party and MPs from the outgoing coalition. Pabriks is also ready to start talks in order to achieve greater support in the parliament.

Pabriks also admitted it was hard to find a solution in a situation where none of the political parties was ready to back down from their positions.

Bordans, who was the next to meet with the president, reasserted his readiness to form a change-oriented government and that he considered himself the best candidate for prime minster.

He said his government would have the support of 66 lawmakers.

Gobzems, the last candidate for prime minister to meet with the president, also touted himself as the candidate best suited for the premiership role, promising Latvia a fresh breakthrough and agenda under his leadership.

He also voiced confidence that the consultations with the president would give the government formation process new dynamic.

After the first round of talks with the political parties represented in Latvia's new parliament, the 13th Saeima, President Vejonis had named Pabriks, Bordans and Gobzems as the three most likely candidates to head Latvia's next government. The president expects the parties to come to an agreement on the new coalition government by Nov. 6 when the new parliament is due to hold its first session.