Record declarations among 15th Saeima candidates: 27 properties, 25 vehicles, and over a million in debt
Analysis of Central Election Commission data by LETA reveals that several candidates for the 15th Saeima stand out with unusually large numbers of properties, vehicles, or debts.
An analysis conducted by LETA of the Central Election Commission (CVK) data has identified 991 'flags' in candidate declarations for the 15th Saeima elections. These flags indicate statistically or journalistically notable entries, though they do not necessarily imply any violations. The data illustrates the diverse social and financial profiles of the candidates.
In terms of vehicles, Imants Konutis from the party “Latvija pirmajā vietā” (Latvia First) declared 25 vehicles, including cars, trailers, buses, motorcycles, trucks, a motorboat, an excavator, a bulldozer, a moped, and a minibus. Aleksejs Koteļeņecs from “Saskaņas centrs” (Harmony Center) listed 21 vehicles, 14 of which are motorcycles. Aleksandrs Blūmentāls from the alliance “Suverēnā vara/Jaunlatvieši” (Sovereign Power/New Latvians) has 20 vehicles, mainly cars and trailers. Andrejs Kindzulis from the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) reported 19 vehicles, including nine trucks, while Raimonds Celmiņš (Latvia First) has six tractors, an excavator, and a bulldozer.
Regarding real estate, Sandris Bergmanis (Harmony Center) tops the list with 27 entries – land, apartments, and a building in Rīga and Ķekava municipality. Aldis Ločmelis from the National Alliance (NA) has 25 properties, mostly land in Latgale, while Edgars Bārens (Latvia First) has 22 properties, 17 of which are apartments in Valmiera. Several candidates declared properties abroad, including France, Bulgaria, Turkey, Egypt, Spain, Finland, and the United Kingdom.
The largest debts belong to Gints Vilgerts from the party “Mēs mainām noteikumus” (We Change the Rules) – €1.14 million. Kristaps Krištopans (Latvia First) has €822,183 in debt, Imants Parādnieks (NA) – €500,915, and Sergejs Pirogovs (“Gobzema saraksts”) – €409,838. On the other hand, Artūrs Tjušs from “Jaunā vienotība” (New Unity) and Jānis Vilgerts (We Change the Rules) each declared financial assets exceeding €2 million, mainly in capital shares. Atis Švinks from “Progresīvie” (Progressives) reported approximately €1.7 million.
In financial instruments, Andris Eglājs (Progressives) listed gold and silver worth about €74,800. Mārtiņš Krusts (We Change the Rules) declared holdings in eight currencies, from Swiss francs to Japanese yen. Regarding education, six entries each were noted for Jeļena Stepule, Evita Šīrante, and Māris Indulis Graudiņš, while 24 candidates have only basic education. Twelve candidates also reported citizenship of another country, such as Canada, the United States, or the United Kingdom.
