Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Revert to the October 23 Saeima meeting

A week ago I promised to come back and translate speech of the Latvian MP from the governing coalition member Fatherland Union party (TB/LNNK). Here is the link to the whole October 23, 2007 session (http://www.saeima.lv/steno/Saeima9/071023/st071023.htm), and during this very session the opposition in the Saeima demanded resignation of the incumbent government. So, I did translate a speech of the demagogue into English, and I hope you can establish the profile of an average Latvian MP now:)

J.Dobelis (Fatherland & Independence Party Union(TB/LNNK) fraction).

Honourable Speaker of the Parliament and Mr Prime Minister! Honourable colleagues!

I have an interesting dcument in my hands that is signed by rather strange people - Repše, Rubiks, Kalniete, Buzajevs, Pliners - and also some others. I have a question - what do all these people have in common? The common aspect is very easily found- it is to destroy, to unleash and to level down! (voice of the MP J. Pliners from the hall of the parliament: „We are for the rule of law!”)

And therefore I have a legitimate question, who are they, – those folks who call the nation to mutiny? And who can cut profit from all this? Is today's event taking place because of will, or simple and empty exhibicionism, and ones "EGO" showdown?

The start of all this is to be found where it was - unsuccessful participation in the 9'th Saeima elections, unsuccessful participation and failure to form the government, waste of monies entrusted to them, and nothing other than that.

I want to remind here, that right after the election of the 9'th Saeima "The New Era"(JL) representatives announced: "Government should be formed by three fractions, JL of course, Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), and People's Party (TP)!" Check it out in the old newspapers, who and when said that.

Regardless of the fact, that shortly prior the elections to the 9th Saeima JL left the coalition government, it wants to be part of the the government again. Just have a look into this hall! How many ministers are sitting here - one, two, three, four, five, six… At least I see thus many of them right now. Therefore, (the voice of the MP V.Orlovs from the hall: „Knoweth how to count!”) they want to be in the government again? Aye?

What did happen next? Bickering, accusations, and devious exhibitionist behaviour continued throughout the year. Just not in actual work, just not in labour.... What we see here is an open wish to replace existing government with other faces. And nothing other than that!

I would not say that governing coalition work was flawless. Of course it was not! The only question here is - what was the attitude about those mistakes of the government? What was the reaction about these mistakes from the side of the opposition? They just called the society to mutiny! Nothing other! Nothing rational! No serious negotiations!

Very characteristic example of all previously mentioned was the referundum in the July 2007. And you got "kicked in the ass", really kicked! (the MP S.Kalniete: „No! There you were kicked in the ass!” from the hall) Only 20 % of the electors came to this consultative referedum. A bit more than twenty percent… Even from the required threshold, that was needed, you were short of about 120 thousand votes. Hundred twenty thousand!

You are boasting now with 3, 4 or 5 thousands, but in July 2007 you lacked 120 thousand! You have somehow forgoten that… But citizens of the Republic of Latvia clearly showed, that they are not agitated by empty shouts, and do not trust calls for mutiny. And I thank them for the fact that they could show their resolve.

Further they tried to find many other opportunities. We came to the presidential elections. Perhaps we could remember, with what kind of faces many of those then and even now stand next to the Saeima? And what are those folks doing now, who then threw mud on the president Valdis Zatlers? What are they doing now? They are calling him, they approach him, they plead him to dissolve the parliament, they beg him… Now, the president is God to them, when they have lost the battle. Now, Mr Zatlers, its seems to them is a good person after all. Finally! Finally they understood.

However, the most despicable thing is, that we see the same producers, the same so called NGO's, and the same humanoids at the helm regardless of the occassion, whether its being the pride, the demonstration, or whether they speak about Loskutovs (the head of ther anti-Corruption unit. translator's remark)… Perhaps soon they will speak about another rusky, Buzajevs, but demonstrating are still the same folks. The same names all the time!

Therefore, why is it so? What are those demontrators proposing? Are they proposing any solution? What are they shouting? – „Down! Out! To throw out! To throw away!” and even crazier. The most laughable event took place last Thursday, when one of the well known MP's ...I do not know, whether he had syringe injected in his spine somwhere there… jumped on the stairs and started shouting: „To dissolve the Saeima! To disband the government!”, while himself being the MP. So, I have question here - why are you sitting here? (Applause.) Give up your mandate! And it became even funnier, when yesterday, some of the most active demonstrators said that this hotspur had destroyed the good demonstration atmosphere (laughter in the hall.) Thank you very much for that! I said, that it was a provocateur sent out by us. (laughter in the hall).

Now I want to shortly summarize the event of last Thursday. I really feel sorry for those folks who came to demonstrate with honest intentions. But how did many others look like? I remember them for the last twenty years since gathering around „Zīgerists toilets”. Most were the same folks. They have not learned anything during those twenty years. Thus, they are persons who are purposefully dragged around in order to create chaos in the society.

And this continued use of name „nation”! Be careful, because every one of us is a little part of the same nation, including us. Each and every one of us has one voice, and not more. Please do not forget it!

Now we have come to the plan of today – day before passing next year's budget to fire the government. Fantastic idea, isnt it? It means, that budget of the next fiscal year might even not be passed, because we already have heared critique here… What would it mean for the future? It means, that until January 1 we would not see any other budget. It means, that the minimum level of subsistence would be left unchanged at the present level. And it means that the minimum wage, that is raised from 120 to 160 lats (it means we have 40 lat increase) we would not pay from January 1. It would mean that we would be paying only 1/12 from the last year's budget.

What does it all mean? It really means maddening of the folks who have suffered the most.

About additional reason. Not the government is the real cause of this riff raff. The reason is more serious here – Saeima and something else. About that madam (the Ambassador of the US Catherine Todd Bailey, translator's remark), who taught us in the University how to live, there is a curious interest in the United States. And for God's sake if the result of that interest should be published and become known to the Latvian public. Then it will become very, very interesting. It could specifically take place after the elections of the next US president. And then you all would be pleased to learn about something new.

Therefore I could say that,: „Honourable proposers of the bill (proposing the demise of the existing government, translator´s remark)! I do understand that this is the new model of the government, only who gets what ministerial position is another issue here…”

But perhaps we could think about one issue, if that issue is still important and dear to someone. You had your show off! You have scribbled whole essays here, so, even cant even simply speak without using your notes. Thus, you have seriously worked last nights… Perform duties that you require today, and pass the budget tomorrow! And then work with the budget in the second reading with your own proposals! And that will be your real labour, because until now there are no real and rational proposals from the opposition, we have not received also „the model of the shadow cabinet” or something similar. Until now we here only currents of blatant words - „down”, „to disperse”, „out”, and „out of the doors”. We come to the situation when some even utter such words as: „To dissolve the parliament!” I am repeating you once more! I offered you the option: give up your mandates, and Saeima would become unworkable! I just doubt that you would do this.

Thank you. (Applause.)

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