2024-08-01 11:57:27
This decision was approved by the CEC during the meeting held on Thursday. 7 members of the commission supported this decision, a couple spoke against it, two more CEC representatives abstained.
According to the Commission’s assessment, when running for the European Parliament (EP), the chairman of the People and Justice Union (centrists, nationalists) violated the prohibition of bribing voters provided for in the Election Code.
The investigation into Mr. Gražulis was started on June 27. – after the CEC received two reports regarding Mr. Gražulis’ possible bribery of voters. The politician promised to give 50 percent to the voters. his MEP salary, if elected to the EP. Mr. Gražulis declared such a promise during the debate organized by the portal 15min.lt in the Vilnius town hall, in the posts published on his Facebook account and in the political advertisement published in the newspaper “Plungė”.
The politician himself, giving explanations to the CEC, indicated that his statements and promises were not intended to encourage voters to vote for him in exchange for material benefits. Mr. Gražulis indicated that with such statements he sought to draw attention to the importance of social responsibility and to show “how a candidate can contribute to public welfare regardless of the election results”.
However, the Election Code prohibits directly or indirectly buying voters’ votes with gifts, services or other remuneration. It is also not permissible to promise voters any form of compensation after the election. The report of the completed investigation also critically evaluates the explanations of P. Gražulis himself, because the politician, who has already entered the EP, repeated his promise, assuring that he would give half of his salary.
Mr. Gražulis is surprised by the CEC’s position: why didn’t you consider me earlier
P. Gražulis himself spoke at the meeting on Thursday. He disagreed with the CEC’s assessment and claimed that he was acting socially responsible by promising to give half of his salary.
“I think that sharing is a welcome thing,” P. Gražulis said to the CEC members.
According to him, if his promises to the voters are considered bribery, then, according to P. Gražulis, the works mentioned in the programs of all parties can also be seen as an attempt to bribe the voters.
“Following your logic, it turns out that the parties that write in their programs that we will increase wages, increase pensions, reduce taxes – they are bribing people. From now on, it will not be possible to write such things in the program. It will be necessary to write “we will reduce the pension, reduce wages, increase taxes” – this will not be bribery”, he ironized.
Explaining his position, P. Gražulis also emphasized that he does not have the “gift of clairvoyance”, so he does not know which voters cast their vote specifically for him or the political force he leads.
“I don’t know which voters vote for me and which don’t.” And I didn’t say that (I will give 50% of my salary – ELTA) to those who will vote for me. But a board and a commission will be formed, (…) and they will see what kind of person, or institution, or organization – that support is needed. They will decide. And no one will ask if you participated in the voting at all, or if you voted for the Handsome. No one will ask that,” the MEP justified.
In general, Mr. Gražulis did not hide, the CEC’s position seems strange to him.
“Why didn’t you consider me before?” I used to promise people much more – to pray for them if they voted for me. I promised good health and even promised eternal life to vote for me. This kind of thing makes me laugh, but your decision makes me happy – I know you will judge and punish me. (…) Thanks to you and you will increase my popularity by punishing”, he concluded.
The opinions of CEC members differed
Although P. Gražulis was recognized as having violated the Election Code, separate opinions appeared among the members of the CEC. During the meeting, a discussion broke out about whether the MEP’s promise to donate part of his salary to charity can really be considered bribery.
“If that promise sounded like this – I promise to donate half of my salary to charity and support – how would such a promise be evaluated?” asked CEC member Maksimas Reznikovas.
“What the member of the European Parliament also emphasized is that there is not necessarily a connection between those people who voted and those people who would benefit from that half salary. Based on that content, I don’t know if we could consider it a promise – to allocate money to charity and support, to provide benefits to an undefined circle of voters, which certainly does not necessarily coincide with those voters who voted,” he said, admitting that due to the investigation the conclusions are questionable.
Mr. Reznikov was seconded by another CEC member, Šarūnas Liekis.
“The tension between that support and bribery, which we would interpret widely (…), however, exists,” said a member of the commission, reminding that a similar situation was seen in the political space during the term of former president Dalia Grybauskaitė.
“I want to remind you that during her period President Grybauskaitė gave up her entire salary, (we can consider – ELTA) as a bribe for everyone. We can interpret it like this. I have a little doubt about the provisions we are trying to apply here”, taught Š. stay
The CEC member also responded to Mr. Gražulis’s arguments regarding party programs.
“We can interpret the election program of each party as bribery,” he thought.
However, CEC member Gitana Matiekuvienė disagreed with that.
“Well, apparently, it is not fair to compare party programs and the candidate’s offers, promises and offers to repay,” said the representative of the commission.
CEC member Olga Kilkinova also had doubts about whether Mr. Gražulis’s promise was a bribe to voters.
“Looking at your answers, I also see the argument for 50 percent. wages not for those who will vote for me, but for those who need help. I understand that everyone is a voter, but the circle (of people – ELTA) is wider. To emphasize that there would be help only for voters (…) or here that promise is intended only for those who voted for you – it seems to me impossible to prove that and we do not have that data”, O. Kilkinova added.
ELTA reminds that on June 9 in the elections to the European Parliament held, the People and Justice Union (centrists, nationalists) received 5.34 percent. voters’ votes. The party won one mandate in the European Parliament, which went to the chairman of the political force, former Seimas member Petrus Gražulis.
The politician joined the far-right group “Sovereign Nations Europe”, works in the Legal Affairs Committee.
2024-08-01 11:57:27