Social network users actively discuss the situation with Ogre History and Art Museum and what happened in the morning on Monday, the 17th of April. Many call it “banditry and propaganda activities”.
On Monday morning Ogre municipal police arrived a the museum to check on the doors of the museum’s director Evija Smiltniece, which have been sealed since last Friday with a label, indicating suspicions of document forgery.
Previously it was reported that prior to Easter the municipal council sent a request to the museum’s director to provide explanations, adding that the recent inspection concluded the museum has not signed a contract with Arno Smiltnieks about his transfer to the position of chief history officer. The inspection also found that “the museum director failed to present worker evaluation sheets that reflect each individual worker’s evaluation”. Ogre City Council also criticised the museum’s director for not complying with the requirement to keep employee record cards.
According to Evija Smiltniece, on the other hand, these accusations from the city council are false, and the city council has not requested her to present the aforementioned documents. Smiltniece said the museum has the required documents and would have presented them to the city council, had it made such a request.
It is worth mentioning that relations between Ogre City Council and Ogre History and Art Museum have been rather tight these past several months. During an extraordinary meeting on Monday, the 17th of April, Ogre City Council discussed plans to suspend the museum’s director, but she submitted her resignation shortly before the meeting.
Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš wrote on Twitter that “such a situation in Ogre is unacceptable, and goes against principles of good management”. According to him, the Ministry of Environment Protection and Regional Development (VARAM) should step in to resolve the conflict.
Politologist Iveta Kažoka is shocked by the fact that “of the high-ranking officials only the prime minister deigned to respond to a letter from 1 000 people”. She invites the media to get officials look into the situation in Ogre, as “this is not an internal problem for the Republic of Ogre!”
Historian Toms Zariņš believes there is more to Ogre City Council not letting the museum’s director in her office. According to him, the city council doesn’t want Smiltniece access her work safe, where the documents are stored, while she is not dismissed.
“Banditry in full bloom, and no one gives a f***,”
says Zariņš.
Public activist and public sector worker Inese Vaivare agrees with Zariņš. She says “the situation is looks more like score-settling in the style of Russian and Belarusian dictators”. Some Some Twitter users also outlined the fact that Ogre’s mayor hails from the National Alliance, which positions itself as supportive of “Latvian values, culture and government”.
National Alliance party member Ansis Pūpols says what is happening in Ogre is positive change, stressing that “finally order will come to Ogre”.
Journalist Ivo Leitāns reminds this is not the first time “such ugly acts are performed”. Previously Ogre Mayor Egils Helmanis ended up in the sights of law enforcers. He was suspected of forging sick leave certificate, scamming the city council of money.
Providus think tank’s senior researcher Līga Leitāne said the situation is not “the plot of some cheap Russian series, but the real actions of the municipal council” with “zero reaction from the ruling coalition, because the mayor is a member of one of the coalition parties”.
According to the director of the Film Museum Agnese Logina, Culture Ministry ignoring this situation is confusing.
Ombudsman Juris Jansons, looking at Ogre City Council’s decision to prohibit the meeting of Ogre County’s Civil Cooperation and Development Association in February, which was intended to voice support for Ogre History and Art Museum and its workers, concluded that there are justified concerns about the way the city council limits residents’ freedom to gather.
Progressive party’s Saeima faction has invited VARAM minister Māris Sprindžuks to dismiss Helmanis from the post of chairman of Ogre City Council.
Previously Sprindžuks said in an interview to Latvijas Radio that the situation in Ogre is “odd” and “something is wrong there” if the city council and the museum are unable to find “common ground” to solve existing problems. He also said VARAM has no reason to “intervene with efforts to solve local problems” at the moment.
Following the criticisms from the public in regards to the reaction officials have had so far to the Ogre City Council/Ogre History and Art Museum conflict, Sprindžuks announced on Tuesday, the 18th of April, that he ordered the ministry’s workers to look into this situation. VARAM plans to request all relevant information about justifications behind the decision to suspend the museum’s director, as well as the reason why the city council decided to neglect listening to residents’ opinions.
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