About 30 members leave Latvia's “Latvijas attīstībai” party, including the head of Mārupe municipality
Aivars Osītis, chair of the Mārupe municipal council, five other councillors and the party's entire Mārupe branch have left the party “Latvijas attīstībai”. Artis Pabriks and Vjačeslavs Dombrovskis have also left its board.
The Latvian political party “Latvijas attīstībai” (For Development of Latvia, LA) has lost about 30 members. According to Latvian Television, reported on 16 October, the party has been left by Aivars Osītis, chair of the Mārupe municipal council, five other councillors of that council, and the party's whole Mārupe branch.
Osītis said the decision was not prompted by the results of the Saeima (parliament) elections or by a change in ideology. In his words, the decisive factor was that he did not want to be in the same political force as certain people. He did not say who they are.
Changes in the party leadership
The LA board has also seen departures. Former defence minister Artis Pabriks and Vjačeslavs Dombrovskis, a former minister of economics and minister of education and science, decided to leave it. Both explain the move by their work commitments.
The leader's assessment
Party chairman Juris Pūce denies that the developments point to deeper rifts within the party. He believes people are leaving because the party did not achieve the hoped-for result in the Saeima elections, so some members may be losing faith in its future.
“Such a process is natural. We have not had good election results. Probably some of those elected in local governments are considering [leaving] and do not believe the party can recover,” Pūce said.
Background
In the elections to the 15th Saeima, “Latvijas attīstībai” received 2.18% of the vote and failed to enter parliament for the second election in a row. This result will nevertheless allow the party to keep receiving state funding.
