RIGA, July 4 (LETA) - Taking into account the problems that have already been identified in the first few days of work, it is understandable that there will be plenty of work to do to solve the problems in Rezekne, said Guna Puce, head of the interim administration of Rezekne City Council, in an interview on TV3 this morning.

The interim administration started its duties in the city a few days ago, and it is already evident that there will be a lot of work, as there are problems with the municipal budget and there is a need to understand how to cover liabilities and balance the budget.

All development projects in the city will be considered as a matter of priority. Puce explained that the challenge is that the municipality has to cover its liabilities and debts, but at the same time the development of the city cannot be stopped, so a balanced approach will have to be found.

For the time being Puce refrains from commenting on the situation in the municipality, as it is still to be acquainted with in more detail, so the first conclusions will be revealed later.

As reported, with the dissolution of the City Council, the interim administration of the Rezekne City Council has started its work.

The interim council is being led by the former head of the Enterprise Register, lawyer Guna Puce, and her deputies are the rector of the Rezekne Academy of Technologies, doctor of economics Iveta Mietule, and former head of the Riga Construction Board Janis Belkovskis.

LETA also reported, under the previous Mayor of Rezekne, Aleksandrs Bartasevics (Together for Latvia), the city fell into severe economic difficulties and was no longer able to meet its financial obligations. In autumn 2023, financial irregularities were detected in Rezekne, which led to the inability to meet its financial obligations. Under these circumstances, Bartasevics was removed from office by the Minister for Environmental Protection and Regional Development. He has challenged his suspension in court.

The chairman of the Rezekne City Council was suspended for serious and systematic irregularities in the management of the work of the City Council and for his responsibility for the organization and management of the municipality's budget implementation process. The irregularities in question, as well as the fact that the chairman of the City Council failed to provide factual, truthful, comparable, comprehensible and complete information on the financial situation of the municipality and on the preparation and implementation of the municipality's budget, demonstrated the inability of the mayor to fulfill his duties.