Islam Times - Latvian president dissolves parliament

Islam Times - Latvian President Valdis Zatlers has dissolved the country's parliament over a row on an alleged corruption case of a prominent lawmaker.

Islam Times reports from LETA: Zatlers made his announcement in a nationally televised address on Saturday. The move takes effect immediately.

The move by the Latvian president comes after parliament on Thursday denied the Corruption Prevention Bureau (CPB)'s request to search the home of Ainars Slesers -- a prominent lawmaker and also a well-known businessman.

The parliament has shown that it defends only its personal interests, the Latvian president pointed out.

"We've seen that the parliament feels comfortable to the atmosphere surrounded by lies, which seriously affected the Government's work," he went on to say.

According to Latvia's constitution, when the president calls for the dismissal of the parliament, a national referendum must be held on the issue.

The president, whose four-year term expires in July, must step down if voters in the Baltic nation disapprove of the move.

“This decision is difficult for me personally,” Zatlers said in the historic Saturday televised address.

“I clearly understand the consequences of this decision and my chances,” he concluded.