Lithuania‘s political parties hit with fines for illegal campaigning

With Lithuania’s parliamentary election campaigns gaining momentum, the Central Electoral Commission has had to take action over complaints of illegal political campaigning, reports TV3 Žinios.

Opposition parties were up in arms last week after a small outdoor library sprang up in the city of Jonava – with a sign saying it was a gift of the Social Democratic Party. The Labour Party also installed similar libraries in Vilnius but did notthem.

Lithuanian election law prohibits giving voters gifts in the six months before the elections.

The Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats also got themselves in trouble when the party organised a Jurgis Didžiulis concert and distributed sandwiches at the Cathedral Square in the centre of Vilnius.

The party was fined €600 as the Election Commission ruled that Didžiulis was hired by the Conservatives to play not only for party members but also for passers-by – or future voters, so it was evaluated as being targetted at voters.

Critics are concerned a summer festival organized in the village of Naisiai village – the main patron of the event is the Peasant and Greens Party leader Ramūnas Karbauskis.

15min.lt