Alvis Hermanis steps down as chair of the MMN party board
Director Alvis Hermanis has left his post as chair of the board of the "We Change the Rules" party, saying he failed to convince the public of the need for change. The party will continue, with a congress planned within two months.
Theatre director Alvis Hermanis has resigned as chairman of the board of the party "Mēs mainām noteikumus" (We Change the Rules, MMN). He announced the decision on social media.
Hermanis said he had not managed to achieve his goal of persuading the public to change the rules, so responsibility should pass to someone else. The choice of successor is up to party members, though he proposed board member Jāzeps Baško for the role.
He said he had come to the realisation that transforming the world is impossible. In his view, rules can only be changed privately, by altering one's own consciousness and habits. He said he is not abandoning the goal but will try to pursue it in different ways.
The party's next steps
The MMN office said the campaign had identified a group of people who should form the core of the party in its next phase. Although it did not win seats in the Saeima, the party believes it has a mandate to continue, in line with its publicly stated programme.
At a meeting of candidates on Monday, the party reviewed the mistakes of its campaign. Within a couple of weeks, the board will present its proposal for restructuring the party and a work plan for the coming years, and within two months it will convene a party congress.
Internal disagreements
On Monday, Baško rejected claims of a purge or split. Party member Mārtiņš Krusts had alleged that, after announcing his candidacy in the board elections, an effort was under way to expel him and several members linked to "Republika". Baško called the accusations fabrications and stressed that MMN is a united organisation in which members must observe common rules and discipline.
He also confirmed that a meeting is planned for next week to consider Krusts's possible expulsion from the party.
Election result
In the 15th Saeima elections, MMN failed to reach the five percent threshold for parliamentary representation but did clear the bar for state funding. After the vote, Baško said the party intends to carry on and use the funding to strengthen its presence in Latvian politics.
