RP fails to convince coalition partners on religious holidays

 RIGA, Dec 17 - Ruling coalition partners still do not support the Reform Party (RP) initiative on religious holidays, i.e. Russian Orthodox would have their Christmas (January 7) as an official day off, Catholics - Virgin Mary Ascension Day, Jews - Yom Kippur, etc.
Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis, following today's meeting of the coalition, said that since none of the partner-parties support the initiative, RP will be kindly asked to retract the bill already submitted to Saeima.
RP has no intention of doing so, it announced, and in reaction received a reprimand for breaching the coalition agreement.
The nationalist VL-TB/LNNK alliance repeated that it cannot support RP's motion, at the same time saying that it would "like to hear its objective."
RP's Vjaceslavs Dombrovskis, in defense, pointed out that the coalition agreement is not being breached because "setting these religious holidays has no particular impact on the national budget", i.e. the coalition has the right to veto an initiative only if it effects the budget.
leta.lv

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