New Conservative Party's PM candidate Citskovskis explains poor exit-poll result
Jānis Citskovskis, the New Conservative Party's (JKP) candidate for prime minister, attributes the party's weak exit-poll showing of just 0.2% to limited campaign funding and a late start. He is awaiting official results before drawing final conclusions.
Following Saturday's voter exit poll showing the New Conservative Party (JKP) with only 0.2% support, the party's prime ministerial candidate Jānis Citskovskis has offered his explanation for the disappointing outcome.
Speaking to the LETA news agency, Citskovskis said JKP's campaign budget was several times smaller than that of the larger parties, which limited its ability to use advertising and other communication channels. According to data from the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau, the party spent around 14,000 euros during the pre-election period.
Lost voters and a late start
Citskovskis acknowledged that the party failed to retain a significant portion of its previous supporters. He linked this to disappointment with JKP's performance after its best-ever result in the 2018 parliamentary election, as well as the fact that part of the public still associates the party with its former leadership and unfulfilled past promises.
JKP had initially set a target of 2% support. Citskovskis said that goal was realistic given that the party's rating stood at around 1% when he joined the list, and he described any lower result as unsatisfactory.
Awaiting final figures
Citskovskis stressed that the exit poll results are not final and that the party is waiting for vote counting to conclude. After that, he said, the party needs to analyze its campaign to understand what went wrong in reaching its former voters. He noted that his comments reflect his personal assessment as JKP's candidate for prime minister, not the party's official position.
Assessing the election more broadly, Citskovskis pointed to major shifts in the political landscape following the collapse of Evika Siliņa's (JV) government and the formation of a new one. In his view, the political team led by the Union List (AS) benefited most from these changes, while several small and new political forces may fail to clear the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament.
