Resolved! In the upcoming autumn elections to the Saeima, votes will be counted manually 0 10

The proposal to ensure manual counting of votes was made by the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, citing concerns about the risks associated with information technology. According to current regulations, the decision on the method of counting votes was to be made by the Central Election Commission (CEC), however, the commission decided to refer this issue to the Saeima for consideration.

On Tuesday, the CEC appealed to the Saeima's Committee on State Administration and Local Governments, urging it to make the necessary amendments.

As CEC Chairman Maris Zviedris stated to journalists, the commission considered two options — the involvement of the legislator or making a decision at the commission level itself. According to him, the parliament's decision will reduce speculation regarding the CEC's motivations, as the commission is a collegial body and opinions within it may differ.

Zviedris also noted that the CEC expects an assessment from law enforcement regarding the process of creating the electoral system and potential risks. At the same time, several municipalities have already begun forming local electoral commissions, so clarity on the vote counting procedure is also important for preparation.

It was also reported that Rinkēvičs made this call after reviewing information from the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) about possible violations in IT procurements and their potential impact on the 2026 Saeima election process.

As part of the criminal proceedings initiated by the EPPO, the State Police detained 21 individuals on suspicion of fraud in IT procurements amounting to 1.5 million euros, including public officials.

As a preventive measure, arrest has been applied to procurement specialist Ainārs Biders, former director of the State Agency for Digital Development Jorens Liepe, and owner and head of the Corporate Solutions group of companies Aigars Ceruss.

The criminal proceedings were initiated at the end of last year and classified under the articles of the Criminal Law on large-scale fraud committed by an organized group, as well as on the legalization of criminally obtained funds in large amounts by an organized group.

According to the investigation, an organized group of individuals entered into an illegal secret agreement to pre-determine the winners in public procurements for at least six projects funded by the European Regional Development Fund, amounting to up to 1.5 million euros. There are suspicions that the contracts were unlawfully secured with the assistance of public officials, and the illegally obtained profits were distributed among the participants.

The EPPO's press release noted that the implementation of some projects could pose potential risks to national security, as they may affect elections and democratic processes.