Ex-Ventspils City Council deputy Aivis Landmanis offers his opinion to BNN.
Wonderful! Riga Eastern Prosecution Office has submitted the criminal case on 14th Saeima deputy Glorija Grevcova reporting untrue information to the Central Election Commission (CVK) to a court of justice. The newly-elected Saeima deputy lied about her workplace and reported false information regarding her education.
This one case of misleading the public is clear.
But what about misleading the public on a massive scale?
Will the «smoke screen» from this smaller case of public deception keep a different and much more serious risk to state security a secret?
The recent parliamentary elections were attended by a certain political party that misled the public and subjected Latvia to security risks.
This is about the decision by the parties forming the Union of Greens and Farmers (Latvian Farmers Union (LZS), For Latvia and Ventspils (L&V) and Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party (LSDSP)) to nominate a person with questionable reputation, a person who, theoretically, had no way to be nominated and approved as the country’s prime minister. ZZS, under the slogan «We have changed!», picked Aivars Lembergs as their prime minister candidate for the 14th Saeima elections. They justified this choice with results of sociological surveys, which indicated ‘overwhelming support from residents’ for a person whose reputation is questionable at most. Later data from SKDS confirmed the effectiveness of ZZS’ chosen strategy for misleading the public. Support for ZZS increased after Lembergs’ nomination: in July it was 5.1%, 6.4% in August, 7.8% in September. As a result – 12.44% votes and 16 seats in the Saeima.
This means that it is entirely possible that the key to success for ZZS was cynical misleading of the public, rather than fair competition. This provided victory for ZZS and kept multiple other parties out of the 14th Saeima.
What about the spotless reputation?
Many official posts in Latvia have a requirement for candidates to have a spotless reputation.
This is true for board and council member candidates in state capital associations.
For the position of prime minister, however, it seems parties can pick a person with awful reputation, a person who is neck-deep in lies and criminal acts, a person who is under sanctions from USA, which is Latvia’s strategic ally, a person who is classified as a threat to Latvia and NATO, and do this with impunity.
Indecisiveness has a price
An ironic turn, but the biggest price for the inability of the coalition of the rule of law to prevent a blatant threat to state security was paid by the politicians representing parties that were previously in charge of curating municipal, legislative, external security and transport (sea port) sectors. Fate punished these politicians in the most ironic way for their failure to introduce the requirement for spotless reputation for candidates aiming to take the top management post, for their failure to prevent a person under international sanctions and who is accused of severe crimes from openly promoting at election sites.
These politicians were removed from the game by the result of their own inaction – the example of «spotless reputation» Aivars Lembergs himself.
Playing with the country is unacceptable
Ignoring sanctions imposed by Latvia’s allies and their frivolous interpretation should be taken as a threat to the country – it is an issue of state security.
Looking back, there is no doubt about the kind of policy Lembergs and his parties have implemented. Laws purchased in the 90s to ensure acquisition of companies at Ventspils Sea port and to subject Latvia’s transit sector under Lembergs, the soft power policy in Ventspils to ensure public opinions are carefully programmed in the «right direction» and to justify actions against differently minded people – these are but some of the elements employed to secure Lembergs’ influence and, as it turned out, establishment of Putin’s soft power in Latvia.
Nowadays many are surprised by the «brainwashed» minds of Russian residents who support the war and aggression in Ukraine.
But what about Ventspils and Latvian residents who remained under information and propaganda since the 90s?
Using official power and billions from transit operations, politicians and officials were being bought for decades and a whole platform of soft power was being formed in Ventspils. Using propaganda media, the minds of people were «washed» and corruption was justified.
Only thanks to a lucky turn of events Latvia was able to prevent a change of power and political direction – lembergputinists failed to secure a majority in the Saeima.
Western-focused forces have to make certain conclusions.
They have to implement measures to reduce risks, prevent attempts to mislead society and prevent the presence of individuals under international sanctions in state and municipal posts. Latvia must stop supporting people who represent threats to state security in Ventspils.
Conclusions have to be made – even by people who missed the usual rake this time.
More on this topic: OPINION | Lembergs as prime minister candidate. How many times is enough?