Riga, June 18 (LETA) - The future Riga City Council coalition plans to take decisions in solidarity, but will also allow for differences of opinion in voting, according to the working version of the draft coalition agreement available to the LETA.

The coalition agreement stipulates that the factions of the Progressives, the National Alliance, the New Unity, and the United List will jointly assume responsibility for the sustainable development of Riga, ensuring efficient, stable, legal and professional management of the City Council for the entire term of office.

The coalition promises to establish a constructive cooperation in which all partners are equal and decisions are taken on a collegial basis.

Coalition partners will be expected to respect generally accepted norms of ethics, have mutual respect, trust, collegiality and integrity. In addition, the leadership of the City Council must set an example of solidarity.

To ensure cooperation between the factions, a Cooperation Council will be set up, chaired by the council chairman.

The factions will have the right to request one adjournment of an issue to be discussed by the Council. In addition, any coalition partner will have the right to decide to vote differently at a council meeting, but will have to inform the Cooperation Council in good time.

The coalition agreement is still under negotiation.

As reported, the initiative to form the new governing coalition has been taken by the Progressives, whose mayoral candidate is Viesturs Kleinbergs. Coalition talks are being held with the National Alliance, the New Unity and the United List. In total, such a coalition would have 34 votes out of 60.

Vice mayor for security, property, housing and environment will be a representative of the National Alliance, most likely the current Vice Mayor Edvards Ratnieks.

Vice mayor for education, culture, sport and family policy will be a New Unity representative, most likely the current Riga Mayor Vilnis Kirsis.

Vice mayor for urban development and metropolitan Riga will be the representative of the United List, most probably Maris Sprindzuks.

The Progressives will be responsible for the finance and administration committee and the traffic and transport committee.

The National Alliance will be responsible for the security, public order and corruption prevention committee, the housing and environment committee and the urban property committee.

The New Unity will be responsible for the education, culture and sport committee and the social affairs committee.

The United List will be responsible for the urban development committee.