On Saturday, July 25, Riga City Council election association “For Development / Par!” and the candidates of the party “Progressive” (AP / PRO), as well as members and leaders of these political forces gathered in an open-air conference with the motto “Restart Riga!” to present the AP / PRO offer to Rigans.
In order to be able to observe the epidemiological safety requirements and the importance of the neighborhoods in the city, the AP / PRO presented its program for the extraordinary elections of the Riga City Council in Ilguciems, Dzeguškalns stage.
The political forces themselves have called the event an open-air conference. There is a small problem here – it is quite wet in the open air this week. Rain myths are too rare. Some hid under umbrellas, others on the contrary – paddled in puddles without shoes and had fun in the rain.
At the beginning of the official part, when the speakers had to be announced, the event leader was largely overshadowed by the speech of the latest AP / PRO supporter. In their speeches, both candidate and non-candidate politicians – in accordance with the specifics of local elections – promised largely the same things as almost all political competitors – a greener, more open, orderly, better managed and more attractive Riga for investment.
The leader of the AP / PRO list is Mārtiņš Staķis, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Defense and a Saeima Member of Parliament.
“The city’s economy and rich city are very important. The coming years for Riga will be years of opportunity. Several hundred million have flowed in the direction of Latvia, which also means Riga, and Riga must be able to get this money. I will not be able to forgive myself if we miss this opportunity, ”says Staķis.
Entrepreneur Mārtiņš Kossovičs and former basketball player Anete Jēkabsone-Žogota are among the first “Riga restarters”. The list also includes neighborhood activists.
“We will not change if we wait for someone else. We are the changes we have been waiting for. Changes are not easy, but they are possible, ”says Selīna Vancāne, the chairman of the board of the Teika neighborhood association.
Recent polls have revealed a rapid rise in the AP / PRO list, at the beginning of July it was in second place after “Harmony”.
Riga City Council extraordinary elections will take place on August 29. 15 lists have been submitted to them.
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