A Prime Minister candidate Krisjanis Karins arrives to the meeting with Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis (not pictured) in Riga, Latvia on January 7, 2019. (REUTERS Photo)
RIGA, January 21 (Reuters): Latvian nominee for Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins of the centre-right New Unity party said on Monday he had secured the backing of a parliament majority for his candidacy, potentially ending months of political limbo since October's elections.
His coalition is planned to consist of five of the seven parties in parliament, excluding only the pro-Russia Harmony party and incumbent Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis' Union of Greens and Farmers.
"We plan to call a plenary session on Wednesday so we can vote on the new government," Karins said. "I believe we have 61 (out of 100) votes in parliament in favour of the cabinet."
Karins, an American-born linguistics professor and former economy minister, said implementing the anti-money laundering measures recommended by Moneyval, the monitoring body of the Council of Europe, was a top priority for the new government.
The first two candidates, from the populist KPV LV and the anti-corruption New Conservative parties, both failed to cobble together a governing coalition. That paved way for Karins, despite him representing the smallest party in parliament.
Latvians, fed up with corruption and weak democracy in the Baltic country of 2 million, punished the ruling three-party coalition in the October election, leading to a highly fragmented parliament.
