RIGA — Latvia’s political party leaders have stepped up the rhetoric in recent days as they jockey for position ahead of next year’s election and, quite possibly, the imminent downfall of the current government.

Three-time former Prime Minister Andris Šķēle officially returned to politics over the weekend, assuming the top spot in the People’s Party and arguing his case for heading Latvia’s next government. Šķēle was elected party chairman by a vote of 629-7 at the party’s congress on Saturday, a vote that was preordained but nevertheless attests to his control of the largest party in the Latvian parliament.

Not to be outdone, Riga Deputy Mayor Ainars Šlesers reiterated to Latvian radio on Friday that he was ready to take the helm in Latvia’s government. Just days earlier at the Latvia’s First Party/Latvia’s Way union party congress he stated that the government of Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis must be replaced once the 2010 budget is passed and called on parties to do it. Though Šlesers has expressed his ambition to become prime minister in the past, his repeat announcement, coming a day before Šķēle’s, has left many feeling that the vultures are circling overhead Dombrovskis’ coalition.

This is likely why President Valdis Zatlers was quick to deflate any big heads that may have emerged from the party congress Saturday. In an interview to Latvian television on Monday, Zatlers said that the People’s Party is directly responsible for what is taking place in the country.

But the clock is ticking, and both Šlesers and Šķēle are fighting for their political survival. Opinion polls suggest that neither party would make it into the next parliament, though at least Šlesers was able to navigate his party into the Riga City Council.

Both men understand the urgency of disassociating themselves from the extremely unpopular policies of the current government. Only by accomplishing that will they have a chance at staying viable politically. For Šķēle this task represents a greater challenge since his party remains in the current ruling coalition, and he didn’t take long to identify the whipping boy: the agreement with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

“The agreement with the IMF doesn’t contain one measure for stimulating the economy,” Šķēle told the party congress. “The agreement is a complete failure, though it is good for Scandinavian banks.”

Šķēle has said he didn’t want to see the current government fall and that Latvia could hardly afford political instability this winter. However, he has also said that the longer the current government remains in power the more difficult it will be for the next Cabinet of Ministers to resuscitate Latvia’s economy.

How these contradictory statements will play out remains to be seen, but top officials in the People’s Party were not shy about what their tactics would be.

“Our politics will be tougher, and more concrete. We will provide a mechanism for carrying out decisions, which doesn’t exist now,” the party’s parliamentary faction leader, Vents Armands Krauklis, told the Business & Baltija newspaper. He and other members said the party hoped to get 20 seats in the next Saeima.