Latvian National Electronic Mass Media Council receives new members

On Thursday, 27 January, Latvian Saeima elected four new members for the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) Ivars Āboliņš, Aurēlija Ieva Druviete, Ilva Milzarāja and Andis Plakans.
Āboliņš is the incumbent chairman of NEPLP, Druviete is vice-chairman of NEPLP, Milzarāja is the former director of Latvijas Radio 5 programme and Plakans is a board member of LLC NT Piedzīvojumi and former sound engineer of Latvijas Radio.
During debates Saeima deputy Viktors Valainis criticized the fact that Plakans is among the candidates, considering he ran in municipal elections as a member of the ruling coalition party. The politician said that this practice is generally acceptable, but it should not be the case for government parties, which entered politics with «slogans promoting openness and transparency».
Plakans ran in municipal elections as a member of the New Conservative Party.
According to Valainis, there may have been an agreement between coalition parties regarding contenders for the post in the council, which means organisation of a selection process to fill vacant spots is considered «a mockery of organisations and people who took this process seriously». Plakans’ candidacy as a person associated with one of the coalition parties indicates the selection process was a farce, said the politician. Valainis also said there is an organisation, which he did not name, that is especially interested is seeing a specific person in this post, which does not promote faith in honest performance of duties.
Similarly, deputy Ralfs Nemiro said during debates that a person who not long ago promoted political principles and slogans of a political party cannot quickly distance from said party, which is why Plakans’ election should not be elected. To be able to work in such an important council, which supervises private electronic mass media, a political cooldown term is needed. Additionally, it is necessary to cut ties with the political market, stressed the opposition politician.
The term of the two re-elected and two newly elected NEPLP members will commence on 2 February.
Previously Saeima’s Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee supported Āboliņš, Druviete, Plakans and Milzarāja’s election to NEPLP.
Currently NEPLP is incomplete – only four members. Considering Ieva Kalderauska was elected to NEPLP in 2020, i.e. later than other incumbent NEPLP members, her term will conclude later. This means the Saeima will need to elect four new NEPLP members on 27 January.
A total of ten people were candidates for the vacant posts at NEPLP.