2024-04-19 23:22:38
The commission found that I. Vēgėlė, who is aspiring for the post of the country’s leader, violated the stipulated ban on bribing voters by giving flowers to women he met during the Kaziuk fair held in the capital.
Regarding the flowers donated by I. Vēgėlė, the CEC received 4 reports, asking to assess whether such behavior is treated as voter bribery. Commission on March 28 decided to start an investigation to clarify the situation.
However, neither the candidate nor his representatives participated in the discussion of this issue at the meeting held on Thursday.
In the explanations given to the commission earlier, I. Vēgėlė stated that she gave flowers to women she knew at the Kaziuk fair and gave the bouquet to Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonyte. The lawyer claimed that on the occasion of the International Women’s Solidarity Day, he had given flowers to women, acquaintances or colleagues he had met in public more than once. Therefore, the lawyer explained, this case is not related to the upcoming presidential elections. I. Vēgėlė also stated that he does not remember how many flowers he gave and how much he paid for them. According to the candidate, it was a spontaneous decision – the flowers were bought with personal money.
However, according to the Election Code, the CEC considers such gifts as possible voter bribery – flowers were given to women with the aim of encouraging them to participate in the elections, to cast their vote for I. Vēgėlė.
“Undoubtedly, donated flowers during the election process can contribute to the formation of the voters’ opinion about the candidate, the possible decision of who to vote for in the elections”, said Jolita Baušytė, a member of the CEC, during the meeting.
“Rhetorical question – would flowers be given if there were no elections?” she pondered.
She was seconded by CEC member Inga Milašiūtė, who also raised the question of whether the commission should also resolve the financial issue of this situation – I. Vēgėlė claims that he bought the flowers from his own funds, but they must be accounted for as campaign expenses.
“I don’t really have any questions here that this action was definitely not spontaneous. I was perhaps a little surprised, because Ignas Vēgėlė is a well-known, respectable lawyer and his answers to the Central Election Commission, that I walked down the street here and met acquaintances and gave flowers – I don’t know the Lithuanian equivalent, but in a sense trolling of the commission”, I shared his thoughts. Milašiūtė.
This decision of the CEC can be appealed to the Administrative Court of Regions.
The Lithuanian presidential election will be held on May 12.
2024-04-19 23:22:38