Electing the President IV
Latvian Chapter of Transparency International, which is known as Delna here in Latvia, translated an interview with the anointed presidential candidate Valdis Zatlers. The interview was published in a daily Diena this week. Nominated as a single candidate from a four-party ruling coalition, Zatlers M.D., as it was reported, admitted to taking money in envelopes from patients as a gesture of gratitude. He doesn’t seem to feel bad about it, nor does he even remember how much money he had taken.
What message would we be sending to the world if we elect the president a person who had admitted to accepting cash from his patients.
During a live public-affairs show on Latvian TV earlier this week, Zatlers received the least number of votes as a result of a phone survey. He came across as ignorant in the simple matters of the state, particularly when he said he didn’t know and didn’t want to know the oligarchs, even though the President recently said she was afraid oligarchs have been getting more power in the country.
But the interview speaks volumes about the Anointed Doctor.
The Parliament is scheduled to vote for the next president on Thursday. Chances are it’s going to be the first round of election. Delna is organizing a picket that day near the Parliament to encourage the MPs to vote for the former Constitutional Court judge Aigars Endzins as the next president of Latvia.
I plan to go there.
Pictured is Valdis Zatlers with a nameless bunny. Photo was taken from Zatlers.blogspot.com, a site created by an independent group of people opposing the election of Zatlers as the next president of Latvia.
May 27th, 2007 at 9.00
Wow, what a step down. Vaira Vike has been one of the most admirable presidents on the European scene the last few years. And the picture you have makes me think the next person looks like someone I would be serving me drinks at the bar.
Very sad. That’s the BEST you can do? Why aren’t you throwing these bums out en masse?
May 27th, 2007 at 9.16
No, it’s not the best we can do. It was the best our ruling coalition can do (though I suspect they have some tricks up their sleeves). We can’t throw out the bums out en masse ‘cause that would be a revolution and we’re tired of those. Instead, we’ll just admonish the parliament to vote in the will of the people.
But to be fair, Zatlers is an excellent medical doctor. I just don’t think he’d make a good president.