Brigman is not going anywhere | LA.lv

Photo: Ieva Leiniša / LETA

After nineteen years as President of the Latvian Farmers' Union (LZS), long-time party leader August Brigmanis had long been leaning towards a new LAS leader, elected by Armands Krauze, a member of the LAS. Saturday's Saeima at the LAS Congress.

Ringold Arnit, former second secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, was elected second congressman and lost A. Krauzem in the second round of voting.

Such a result of the Congress prevented the division of the party, as well as the succession in the works of the League and in cooperation with the Green Party of Latvia and the regional parties of Liepaja, Ventspils, Daugavpils and Livani. However, changes have occurred in the direction of LAS. A. Krauze is reluctant to move from Riga policy to increased cooperation with regional members in the regions, as well as support for all small and medium-sized local producers.

At the time the LSU was running the Ministry of Agriculture, people felt that they supported only the big farmers, as Congress said. A. Krause's offer also coincides with Brigmanis' vision, and several Congressional delegates have unofficially admitted that not without the great experience of A. Brigman until the end of such a result of the LAS Congress.

Losers become deputies

Photo: Ieva Leiniša / LETA

Already after the Saeima elections, during which A. Brigmanis had not entered parliament and that the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) had become the party of opposition, A. Brigmanis had stated that he would go nowhere and not continue to act within the party. He agreed to run in the presidential election, where he was appointed in the departments of Riga and Zemgale.

However, already before the vote, the politician had shown that he had seen another person under the direction of the LAS. "I will not be the one who will remain on the sidelines and as a regular member I am ready to help the new president," said Brigmanis, not leaning on both sides. To become president of LAS, you need to get more than half the votes of the delegates. A. Brigman received the support of 36 delegates, A. Krauzem – 101, and R. Arnis – 103, out of 240 valid ballots from the first round.

In the second round, the choice had to be made between A. Krauz and R. Arnit.

Now, A. Krauze got 152 votes, but R. Arnītis – 94. The two losers of the predecessor were involved in the fight for vice president positions, in which nine Brigmanis and Arnitis won the contest of nine candidates. Partial changes also took place in the League's governing board, where Jelgava mayor Andris Rāviņš and Saeima Uldis Augulis MP were elected in Zemgale.

Jānis Dūklavs (Vidzeme) and Reinis Uzulnieks (Riga) will continue to work there. However, for the first time Edgars Mekšs, district president of Ludza, and Gunārs Upenieks, chief of the Krāslava district, were elected in Latgale. Similarly, Hardi Venta (Vidzeme), head of Pargauja County, and Dana Reizniece-Ozola (Riga), a member of the Saeima, were not in charge of the board of directors.

Arnitis does not lose her determination

When there were only two family names left in the information letter, one delegate admitted that the fight had taken place between supporters of A. Brigman and Duklava. J. Duklav had previously confirmed that R. Arnit saw him as a person who could make a difference. Before and during the Congress, it was impossible to notice that R. Arnis was also supported by Edgars Treibergs, President of the Council for Cooperation of Agricultural Organizations (LOSP).

Arnitis did not reveal his followers to journalists and described them as a "peer group". The defeat in the elections has not diminished his determination, hoping to get up after two years. R. Arnītis has been in the League for only three years. He admitted that Zemgale and Kurzeme were not so familiar, but now it would be time to walk around the departments.

His presentation as a precursor candidate was painstakingly prepared, highlighting the need to defend national interests and national capital by "ceasing to be a club of limited economic interest". According to him, the place of the Union of Latvian farmers in the Union of Greens and Farmers "must be more impressive and more important".

Already before the congress, it had been said that in case of election, R. Arnitis wanted to review the cooperation with the Green Party of Latvia, which he had denied to Congress: "This is not true, I am a team man, but the role of LAS in the ZZS must be more important. " A. Brigmanis spoke about this, saying that only a unified ZZS could implement common goals, as well as Aivars Lembergs, chairman of the party "Latvia and Ventspils".

A. Lembergs pointed to several ZZS crises that occurred at a time when LAS and LZP were not united. For example, the beginning of the Riga City Council in 2013, when each party announced separately, the two remaining outside. More severely, Lembergs badessed the results of the Saeima elections, highlighting one of the reasons for his failure: "ZZS had no one to experience starting the election as a first party". ZZS also did not badyze the attitude of the voters with regard to the reforms implemented by the government, hoping that the current government, where the ZZS is no longer, "will abolish his foolishness ".

Proponents of R. Arnītis informally indicated that A. Krauzem, as leader of the ZZS, should also take responsibility for the results of the Saeima elections. He was also the first issue of the ZZS list in the Riga City Council elections, where ZZS did not overcome the 5% barrier. Similarly, supporters of Arnīša had doubts about the possibility of a change under the leadership of A. Crauz, as he once "peeked over the door. shoulder, what August would say, not being so decisive, he can now be the same ". Zraus will soon be replaced by a member of the LZP.

A. Krauze was convinced that "the League has started a new period and that we are going to change things", which implies above all the participation of the simple members in the life of the party. LAS has also become more modern, preserving its historical values, and was convinced by A. Krauze. Some changes were already visible in the congress became more dynamic. LAS also refused to reveal the tradition of praising the "Sun by the Sun" choir, founded by LAS and supported by Garkalne County.