We have had so many parties, associations and SIAs with sounding names that there are not so many free names in the register, because according to the law we cannot use [jau izmantotus nosaukumus]. The main goal – what did we lose? Each other, because it was a pandemic time, now a war situation. We wanted to get together.
Together, it turned out that we used this name the most, so he came out. I know that everyone somehow tries to outplay him,” Klementjev explains.
The new political force has attracted “Saskaņas” members from Ludza, Rēzekne city and county. Former members of the Saeima are also showing interest. They are said to be dissatisfied that “Saskaņa” has become too liberal.
The elections showed that some of their supporters voted for “Stability”, which Klementyev calls radicals and populists. The rest voted for more conservative parties. A few percent voted for the Union of Latvian Russians, “Sovereign Power” and other parties that did not enter the Saeima.
Politicians who have broken away from the agreement admit that in future elections they could run together with other political forces, for example Ainārs Šleser’s “Latvia First” party or Jūlija Stepaņenko’s “Sovereign power”.
Three co-chairmen were elected at the “Saskaņas” congress under the leadership of the party. One of them is MEP Nils Ushakov. He claims that the stance against Russia is the main reason for the split, and the party philosophy proposed by Bartasevic was unacceptable.
Bartašević’s position is revealed by a recording from the discussions of “Saskaņa” members before the party congress. It was made public by Saeima member Leila Rasima last week.