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Riga, June 19 (LETA) - The factions forming the new Riga City Council coalition - the Progressives, the National Alliance, the New Unity and the United List - signed a cooperation agreement and an action plan for Riga on Thursday.

As Viesturs Kleinbergs (Progressives), candidate for the Riga Mayor, said today after signing the agreement, the results of the Riga City Council elections have been challenged in court. If the court rejects the application, a session of the City Council could be convened on June 26.

Maris Zviedris, the head of the Riga Election Commission, also confirmed this to LETA, noting that the date of the council's convening currently depended on the court's decision.

Kleinbergs informed that the first session of the City Council is planned to approve the City Council and elect the Mayor of Riga. The election of vice-mayors could take place at the next council meeting, which could tentatively take place on July 1.

Today, all the representatives of the new coalition stressed that the work of the City Council will be intensive and must start without delay.

Edvards Ratnieks (National Alliance) mentioned that it will be important for the coalition to ensure that Riga is safe and Latvian, and he sees the coalition as national and Latvian-minded.

Maris Sprindzuks (United List) stressed that the coalition agreement has been drafted in a spirit of cooperation and equality. In his opinion, if the word "cooperation" is kept sacred, then the new Riga City Council will succeed.

By signing the agreement, the political forces promise to ensure an efficient, stable, legal and professional management of the Riga City Council throughout its term of office.

The partners have agreed to pursue common goals, collegial decision-making, ethical principles, mutual accountability and clear coordination procedures.

The future Riga City Council coalition plans to take decisions jointly, but differences of opinion in voting will also be allowed, according to the working version of the draft coalition agreement available to LETA.

To ensure cooperation with all the elected factions in the Council, it is planned to set up a Council of Factions.

The division of responsibilities is also consolidated in the cooperation documents. The Progressives, who have 11 seats on the Council, will have the post of the mayor, for which Viesturs Kleinbergs is being nominated. The Progressives will also be responsible for the finance and administration committee and the traffic and transport committee.

Vice mayor for security, property, housing and environment will be a representative of the National Alliance, most likely the current Vice Mayor Edvards Ratnieks. The National Alliance will be responsible for the security, public order and corruption prevention committee, the housing and environment committee and the urban property committee.

Vice mayor for education, culture, sport and family policy will be a New Unity representative, most likely the current Riga Mayor Vilnis Kirsis. The New Unity will be responsible for the education, culture and sport committee and the social affairs committee.

Vice mayor for urban development and metropolitan Riga will be the representative of the United List, most probably Maris Sprindzuks. The United List will be responsible for the urban development committee.

In total, a coalition parties would have 34 votes out of 60.