Four parties file election campaign finance declarations

Four parties had filed campaign income and expenditure declarations by the final reporting day for October’s 15th Saeima elections, LSM reported. The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) will review the declarations within six months.

Latvia First submitted its declaration on October 16, reporting campaign spending of more than €491,000. It spent €287,000 on advertising in indoor and public spaces, €76,000 producing advertising materials and nearly €59,000 on commercial radio advertising. The party also paid almost €17,000 to the SKDS market and public opinion research centre. Latvia First won 17 seats in the Saeima.

The other three parties whose declarations had been filed were We Change the Rules, the New Conservative Party and Harmony Centre. None will be represented in the new Saeima.

We Change the Rules reported spending of nearly €170,000, including close to €50,000 on producing advertising and about €40,000 on salaries for people involved in the campaign. Harmony Centre spent about €53,000, with nearly €13,000 going to commercial radio advertising. It also had to repay donors about €4,000, apparently because the donations did not meet legal requirements.

The New Conservative Party reported spending of about €41,000. Its largest expenses were nearly €9,000 for commercial radio advertising and a similar amount for producing advertising materials.