KNAB to examine United List campaign activities in Kurzeme

Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau, known as KNAB, will examine whether representatives of the United List alliance, including Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, complied with pre-election campaign rules during activities in Kurzeme last Friday, LSM reports, citing the LETA news agency.

KNAB will also assess whether administrative resources were used for campaigning.

The State Chancellery’s schedule for the prime minister had described Kulbergs’ trip as a regional visit to Kurzeme. In a post on X on Saturday, however, the United List said its Kurzeme team had travelled through South Kurzeme and Liepāja over the weekend, visiting Durbe, Grobiņa, Liepāja and Nīca.

The post said the delegation met businesspeople and farmers, visited municipalities and, “most importantly, people”. The delegation included Kulbergs, Finance Minister Māris Kučinskis, whose participation was listed as part of his ministerial duties, Justice Minister Edvards Smiltēns, Latgale list leader Juris Viļums, Saeima Defence Committee chairman Raimonds Bergmanis and United List board member Jānis Vilnītis.

In Durbe, the representatives visited the farm of Saeima member and parliamentary secretary at the Finance Ministry Edgars Putra. In Grobiņa, they toured the metalworking company RK Metal and discussed regional issues with the leadership of the South Kurzeme municipality.

In Liepāja, the delegation focused on city development, business, manufacturing and new opportunities for the wider region. It also visited Liepāja Industrial Park, Liepāja City Council, the Garage 1965 Latvian rally exhibition and the Liepājas papīrs company.

The day ended with visits to the Nīcas siers company and a farm.

The United List’s post included photographs of its representatives posing on a combine harvester, while buses displaying images of the politicians were parked in a harvested grain field.

KNAB said it had received 30 reports of possible violations of the pre-election campaign law between the start of the campaign period and August 10. Three of those reports concerned the possible use of administrative resources in campaigning.