RIGA, Nov 9 (LETA) - On Saturday, Viesturs Kleinbergs, the Progressives' candidate for mayor of Riga and opposition member of the Riga City Council, criticized the current leadership of the Riga City Council at the party's congress, accusing it of hesitating to act decisively and "reversing at the first criticism".

The politician said that the Progressives were in politics to offer real solutions to people's everyday concerns. The party has a duty to provide much better conditions for Riga's families, young people and seniors, Kleinbergs promised.

"There is still a lot to be done to strengthen the middle class, to support the disadvantaged, or mothers who are pulling their own weight, working two jobs and raising children," said the Riga City Council member.

Kleinbergs expressed the opinion that two types of politicians dominate in Riga. "The first are those who continue to inertia build Riga as a passable backyard, convenient for those who live elsewhere but only come here to work or the supermarket," the politician said, pointing out that such politicians are indifferent to the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and users of public transport.

The latter, Kleinbergs said, are those who see Riga as a place to line their own pockets, citing "the selling of residence permits in Andrejosta, the lobbying of the gambling business and the construction cartels". "They will tell all kinds of nonsense and build air castles at every election just to get elected and keep whispering," the mayoral candidate said.

If the former are in power, the city stagnates, Kleinbergs argued, but if the latter are in power, the city is looted.

The politician from the Progressives promised never to engage in destructive populism, nor to pretend that everything is fine.