Latvia's president on Saturday launched plans to dissolve parliament over its blocking of a corruption probe of a prominent lawmaker and businessman, according to Reuters. His decision sets the Baltic state on course for a political crisis, just as the country begins to recover from a recession caused by the 2008 global financial meltdown. "Parliament showed disrespect and mistrust of the competency of the judicial authorities," Valdis Zatlers said in a live television and radio address. "I have taken a decision to act in a radical way," he said. Under the constitution, a referendum will be held to back his decision to sack parliament, which was elected last October. New parliamentary elections will be held if Zatlers wins the vote. If he loses, he must leave office. Zatlers' move marks an attempt by the head of state to draw a line under years of corruption allegations and follows parliament's refusal to allow a police search of properties belonging to legislator and businessman Ainars Slesers. Zatlers is already facing a vote on his re-election in parliament next week. In Latvia, parliament appoints the president, who is a non-executive head of state. Zatlers accused a small group of influential political businessmen, known as Latvia's oligarchs, of effectively controlling decision making. He said he wanted to draw a line in the sand over years of allegations of corruption.
