Riga, April 2 (LETA) - The list of the National Alliance (NA) will include Riga Vice-Mayor Edvards Ratnieks as the first candidate in the Riga City Council elections, but the list also includes a number of current councilors and activists from the city's neighborhoods.

The leaders of the National Alliance's list after Ratnieks are Liana Langa and Ansis Pupols, active on social media, Girts Lapins, the head of the Mezciems Neighborhood Association and head of the National Alliance's Riga unit, and several current members of the Riga City Council: Dainis Locis, Chairman of the City Property Committee, Ieva Silina, Vice-Chair of the Education, Culture and Sports Committee, Einars Cilinskis, Chairman of the National Alliance/LRA faction and Head of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Ieva Holma, Vice-Chair of the Traffic and Transport Committee, Kaspars Spunde, Head of the Ciekurkalni Neighborhood Association, Valters Bergs, Deputy Head of the Anti-Corruption Commission and Lauris Erenpreiss, Vice-Chair of the City Property Committee.

The National Alliance's list consists of 63 candidates.

According to Ratnieks, the National Alliance's program for Riga places national issues and economic development as equally important. According to the party, a strong economy means a developed infrastructure, quality education and a higher level of well-being for the citizens of Riga.

The National Alliance will advocate Latvian education, completing the transition to Latvian-language education and eliminating Russian from school curricula. The National Alliance supports learning of European languages and the strengthening of the Song Festival movement.

The National Alliance has a "strategic plan" to make Riga a center of technology and innovation, attracting new businesses and investment. "We will increase the number of science and technology classes, develop talent programs and support start-ups," Ratnieks promises.

Riga's development will include building residential neighborhoods and business centers, balancing the city's economic growth. The National Alliance promises to re-establish a ferry route to Scandinavia and to strengthen Riga as a Baltic business hub.

Improvements to the public transport system will also be a priority - a single ticket for Riga and the Pieriga region, mobility points and increased train services to make the train the backbone of public transport in Riga.

Local elections in Latvia will take place on the first Saturday in June.