Only 35 deputies in the 100-seat parliament voted for the proposed new government of Andrejs Krastins, a member of the National Conservative Party, or LNNK. Twenty-seven deputies voted against the team and 28 deputies abstained.
Because a number of deputies were absent or are under suspension, a vote of 45 in favor of the new government was needed for parliament to approve the team on Thursday.
LNNK has 15 seats in parliament and was trying to form a government without the backing of Latvian Way, the largest parliamentary faction and the main party in the old government.
LNNK takes a tougher line than Latvian Way on ties with Moscow and with the Russian-speaking minority.
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