Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 16 / Trend , E.Ostapenko/ A rapid solution to Latvia's crisis and changes to the country's political course will not occur even if the protests in the capital lead to snap elections, experts said.
"A change in the government will unlikely mean a change to Latvia's political course as the ruling coalition will remain," Green Party member of parliament Tatjana Zdanoka told Trend in a telephone conversation from Strasbourg.
A peaceful protest in the capital turned into riots in front of the parliament on Tuesday night. The demonstrations were organized by opposition political parties, trade unions and non-governmental organizations.
More than 1,000 people gathered in the city center, urgining the president to hold a referendum and dissolve the parliament. Similar protests in 2007 resulted in the prime minister's resignation.
The current riots have been caused by public dissatisfaction with policies addressing the economic crisis.
Latvia is experiencing the strongest economic downturn in the EU. The government has composed a plan to stabilize the economy by reducing governmental expenditures by 15 percent, freezing wages and raising taxes. The International Monetary Fund has granted 7.5-billion-euro loan to Latvia, which is more than the country's annual GDP.
"We are completely bound now, as we won't be able to return the money," Zdanoka said.
Another unpopular government policy was raising the value added tax (VAT). This boosted food prices.
The difficult economic situation and distrust of the government has led to claims that the parliament will be dissolved. But a change to the government will not mean rapid positive results as Latvia does not have a decent leader who can unite the people and fight the crisis with dignity.
"There is almost no real opposition that would enjoy the people's confidence," Zdanoka added. New political parties have showed an inability to function as a true opposition.
Yesterday's rally was case and point. The New Politics party, which organized the protests, was unable to keep order. This resulted in street disturbances and injured people, she said.
Latvia's governing coalition unites four parties, including: Union of Greens and Farmers, People's Party, Latvian First Party/Latvian Way and Fatherland and Freedom.
The more likely and credible opposition is led by those who broke away from the major parties like Sandra Kalniete (from New Era, was a former foreign minister and ambo to the US) and Artis Pabriks (from the People's Party, was a former foreign minister), said British expert for international relations David Galbreath.
"Both individuals look good internationally and at home," Galbreath, lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, told Trend via e-mail.
Piotr Maciej Kaczynski, an EU expert from the Brussels-based Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), said it seemed rather impossible for any single Latvian politician or party to address the society's main problem in the short period.
Experts believe that the only major changes to government policies will stabilize the situation in the country.
"Nothing will change until socieal rottenness is eliminated, equal rights are granted to all residents and statelessness is abolished, Zdanoka said.
About 30 percent of the Latvian population are not citizens of the country, whose pasports differ in colour from those of the citizens'. They don't have a right to vote, as well. "Non-citizens" are people, who moved to Latvia from other republics of Soviet Union between 1940 - 1989.
However, Kaczynski believes the Latvian leaders will not be in a position to address the economic problems alone. The economic situation requires joint global coordination.
"Hence the way to stabilize the situation is probably to have a leader which can fit into the global conversation," he said, adding that "In politics no one can deliver miracles, I doubt this could be possible in Latvia".
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