KNAB opens 20 cases over election campaign violations

Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau has opened 20 administrative offence proceedings over alleged election campaign violations, including cases involving several political parties, LSM reported.

Among those named are the Harmony Centre party alliance, Gobzems’ List, the Sovereign Power party and the Union of Greens and Farmers. The bureau received 207 reports of possible violations between June 6 and October 3 and is still reviewing 45 of them.

Most reports concerned alleged improper placement of campaign materials in public places, on social media and elsewhere online, as well as the use of administrative resources for campaigning.

Ten proceedings concern political campaign materials displayed in public without identifying who paid for them. One case each involves Harmony Centre and Gobzems’ List.

Four proceedings relate to a failure to submit, within the legal three-day deadline, a notice about placing campaign materials. Two involve individuals, while one each concerns the Sovereign Power party and the Union of Greens and Farmers. Three more proceedings concern campaign materials placed unlawfully in urban areas on election day, and one involves an individual’s unauthorised use of administrative resources for campaigning.

On election day, the bureau said campaigners were increasingly complying with the rules. It said the overall level of compliance during the 15th Saeima election campaign would be assessed after checks of parties’ declarations.