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Outgoing Latvian president admits country considered 'mafia state'

© RIA Novosti . Igor Zarembo  / Go to the mediabankValdis Zatlers
Valdis Zatlers - Sputnik International
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Outgoing Latvian President Valdis Zatlers admitted on Tuesday that his country has a reputation as a 'mafia state.'

Outgoing Latvian President Valdis Zatlers admitted on Tuesday that his country has a reputation as a 'mafia state.'

"We need to be honest before ourselves - Latvia is considered a small mafia state, and this is not the best reputation for a country," Zatlers told the LNT TV channel.

On May 28, Zatlers moved to dissolve parliament, the Saiema, after the legislature rejected a request by Latvia's anti-corruption office to search the house of parliament deputy and businessman Ainars Slesers, suspected of corrupt deals.

The Saeima voted on June 2 to make former banker Andris Berzins the country's new president.

Zatlers, whose presidential term expires on July 7, lost support among lawmakers in late May after he accused them of corruption and called for the dissolution of parliament. A referendum on the dissolution is to be held on July 23.

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