Riga, Feb 3 (LETA) - Of the municipal leaders who had requested clearance for access to state secrets, only Rezekne Mayor Aleksandrs Bartasevics (Together for Latvia/Latvia First) and Jurmala Mayor Gatis Truksnis (Latvia's Green Party) have been denied access, LETA learned from the State Security Service (VDD).

However, the VDD has also refused a special permit to a deputy chairman of a municipality.

At the same time, the VDD is still assessing the eligibility of five municipal deputy chairmen to work with state secrets.

This year and last year, the VDD has granted special permits for access to state secrets to 40 chairpersons and 71 deputy chairpersons of local councils.

In 94 cases, the special permit was issued for the full term, i.e. for five years. However, 17 officials - eight chairpersons and nine vice-chairpersons - were granted special permits for a shorter period.

The VDD does not comment further on the reasons for refusal and the specific officials concerned.

As reported, Smart Administration and Regional Development Minister Raimonds Cudars (New Unity), has asked Bartasevics to resign over the failure to obtain the permit, but Bartasevics has not publicly explained the situation.

Cudars is waiting for an explanation from Bartasevics by early next week, while promising to take the necessary decisions "immediately after the deadline for providing explanations".

Truksnis himself resigned after the negative decision of the VDD.

On Tuesday, the former mayor of Ogre, Egils Helmanis (National Alliance), who had long delayed the deadline for submitting the documents for obtaining the security clearance, announced his resignation. He was replaced by Andris Krauja (National Alliance), the previous deputy mayor, who has been granted a security clearance.