Latvian parties spend less than 40% of campaign limit

Latvian political parties have used less than 40% of the permitted spending limit for pre-election campaigning, prompting the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) to propose changes, public broadcaster LSM reported.

The parties currently spending the most are the United List, Latvia First and the Union of Greens and Farmers. They have used 36%, 30% and 24% respectively of the permitted total of 1,039,582 euros.

KNAB says it is clear that no political force will use the full amount by October 3. The bureau plans to return to the issue after the elections and prepare specific proposals for changing the rules governing campaign spending.

Amilija Raituma, head of KNAB’s Political Party Finance Control Division, said the system should be reviewed as a whole. Options include significantly reducing the limit or reconsidering which types of spending should fall under it.

Raituma said the costs of producing campaign materials could also be subject to the limit. Such costs account for at least one-third of parties’ total spending, she said.

The non-governmental organisation Delna also supports amendments to the pre-election campaign law. It has called for tougher penalties for using administrative resources in campaigning and a unified mechanism to combat hidden campaigning more effectively. KNAB said it was drawing on the experience of other countries in tackling hidden campaigning.