Latvia, Legislation, LIVE RIGA

Nils Usakovs.

The Riga City Council coalition includes Harmony Center and Latvia's First Party/Latvia's Way (LPP/LC), and has a total of 38 seats on the Riga City Council, writes LETA.

As reported, on December 23, members of the Civic Union and New Era groups at the Riga City Council handed in a petition, signed by a number of Riga councilmen, demanding that Usakovs be dismissed.

The petition stated that "Usakovs' undemocratic governance, work in the interest of private lobbies, poor management skills and squandering money on such questionable and poor quality projects as LIVE RĪGA attests to the city mayor's unprofessional conduct, unwillingness and inability to work in the interest of Rigans."

Usakovs' "indifferent and cynical" attitude was demonstrated, for instance, at the last Riga City Council session where the Riga budget for 2010 had to be passed. The session started late in the afternoon, although it was clear that such important decisions could not be passed in just a few minutes. Right after that, an extraordinary Riga City Council meeting was called, although councilmen had not yet managed to acquaint themselves with documents to be reviewed, the petition informs.

Another issue that causes great concern is the "catastrophic" morals of the Riga City Council leaders. "At a time when public confidence in politicians is dangerously low, the Riga mayor's conduct at the December 17 meeting of the municipality has degraded the already-low level of political culture in the country. We believe that not only the community but also the political environment must take urgent action – we must not pretend that we did not notice. The way the officials speak clearly demonstrates the way they think, and Rigans have not deserved to have such leaders," the petition reads.

LETA also reported, a "TV3" news report from the December 17 Riga City Council meeting showed Usakovs and Riga Deputy Mayor Ainars Slesers' (Latvia's First Party/Latvia's Way) vernacular. Recorded audio picked up Mayor Usakovs – quietly to himself or in conversation with Slesers – repeatedly using foul language.

The December 17 emergency city council meeting on the 2010 municipal budget went long into the night as opposition members debated each and every issue at length in an apparent attempt to "get back at" the ruling coalition for rejecting many opposition proposals.