The law amendments that were aimed specifically against scandalous Ventspils politician and businessman Aivars Lembergs helped reveal the nature of some of the people elected to the Saeima – communists, said parliament member Artuss Kaimiņš after the 23 September vote that would have banned Lembergs from entering the Saeima building.
«I knew this and the previous vote would reveal who is who, but the result was a very, very unpleasant surprise to me. I cannot even look you in the eyes.»
«Members of the New Conservative Party and National Alliance and certain non-faction deputies voted in favour of the proposed amendments, whereas members of New Unity, Harmony and representatives of smaller factions and non-faction deputies voted against. Members of Attīstībai/Par! did not participate in the vote.»
Kaimiņš said «the issue is about the fact that there are 57 reasons nothing has changed here in three years. 25 reasons don’t vote». As for the people present at the meeting, he said: «You came to bring new life to politics, right? 65% of [Saeima] deputies were replaced. I walked in with a slogan «Scrub out the communists’ because at the time we had too many communists in the Saeima. But now there are 65.»
«It was a proposal signed by me to make sure Lembergs is nowhere near the Saeima, so that he doesn’t come meet with meetings with the Union of Greens and Farmers and make any important decisions there on Wednesdays,» stresses Kaimiņš.
Confused over the choice of vote by New Unity, Kaimiņš asks: «What have you done? Judins, my friend, what kind of argument is ‘I as a lawyer, I want to say… what’s going to happen here?’ It’s nonsense! You do realize this is about Lembergs, right?!»
«We can technically package what Judins said as what is proposed is legally unclear etc. This is an anti-Lembergs law – to ban Lembergs from meeting with ZZS faction in the Saeima. That’s it! There’s nothing more to it. You’ve sat here for three years and you haven’t seen him because ZZS is not in the coalition. When they held the reins Lembergs was seen here every Wednesday. Every Wednesday! He’s been in prison for the last seven months, ladies and gentlemen,» said the Saeima deputy.
«What we’ve seen today is all of you voting for Lembergs.»
He allows that the «Šlesers case» or his drive to return to politics is needed so that the people in government and the Saeima would be reminded via baseball-bat-to-the-head method of the risks involved.
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He stressed that Lembergs is a symbol – «an evil, twisted Voldemort».
«This vote is a tragic comedy. I picked young deputies, I even founded a political party to oppose ZZS and Lembergs. You sit now in a faction of immortals. You sit here and vote for Lembergs. No moral principles, not values. I don’t know if there is any reason to vote for this, because the point was making sure Lembergs is unable to make decisions. And I am being yelled at and looked from above, but not by Solvita but Ramona – brunette instead of ginger. Sits there happy, fulfilled. The social elevator has lifted you up, it seems.»
«Colleagues, I am simply voicing my shock. I cannot imagine your motives and how you intend to explain this to your voters.»
«People remind me of all of my criminal cases, etc. I go, I fight, I work – all is good. My, my dear colleagues. I thought it was great that we have replaced 60% of deputies. But what is all this? What is all this?»
«This is as funny as Lembergs writing letters to Ventas Balss from his prison cell, telling them that even trains signal him – greet him. What he doesn’t know, it seems, is that trains have a duty to signal every time they approach a station.»
Authors of amendments noted that changes to the law are needed to ban ex-Saeima deputies and Supreme Council members who are under sanctions from the EU and NATO member states from entering the parliament’s building. This way, according to authors of amendments, it will be possible to reduce the influence of these people over the legislative power.
Saeima deputy on anti-Lembergs vote: We have even more communists in the Saeima now
