RIGA, March 26 (LETA) - The Lembergs family will run in Ventspils City Council election on the ticket of For Latvia and Ventspils party, according to information posted on the Central Election Commission's website.

The current Ventspils Mayor Aivars Lembergs will be the number one candidate on the ticket, while his spouse Kristine Lemberga will be 13th on the list. Lemberga is currently head of the Ventspils City Council's Development Administration.

For Latvia and Ventspils ticket also includes current Ventspils City Council members Janis Vitolins, Guntis Blumbergs, Didzis Osenieks, Aigo Gutmanis, Ilze Bunke and Uldis Boitmanis.

The other For Latvia and Ventspils candidates for Ventspils City Council are Parventa Library's head Igeta Gredzena, Ventspils Music School Principal Andris Grigalis, Ventspils Vocational School Principal Kristine Vagnere-Davidova, Ventspils High School No. 3 Principal Vera Sengelija, Kurekss trade manager Dainis Kula, Northern Kurzeme Regional Hospital's Surgery Department head Girts Stekerhofs, Ventspils Sports School Principal Solvita Pleinica, and Ventspils Youth Association's board chairman Roberts Budigins

The party's program also lists its achievements to date and claims that it has delivered on its past promises. It also says that "it is not just the pandemic that has been hampering the city's development, there are various ill-wishers who try to throw a spanner in the works. Sanctions against the free port, removing the city council's representatives from the port's board, as a result of which the port's contribution to the development of the city has decreased by EUR 2 million. Political opponents have also achieved that a disproportionate and unjustified security measure be applied to the mayor of Ventspils."

"In the future, too, our city will evolve the way Ventspils residents want it," says For Latvia and Ventspils. Riga politicians have decisively proved that they are unable to run the country amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, so now they are trying to seize power in Ventspils. Riga parties do not care about the interests of Ventspils residents, says For Latvia and Ventspils.

As reported, Riga Regional Court on February 22 slapped a five-year jail term, confiscation of property and a EUR 20,000 fine on Lembergs.

Lembergs was arrested in the courtroom. The court, however, took into account the time Lembergs had already spent in arrest - from March 14 until July 10, 2007, and in house arrest - from July 10, 2007, until February 22, 2008.

Lembergs may officially run in local elections until his guilty verdict comes into force, the Central Election Commission's representative Laura Zaharova explained earlier.

LETA also reported, the Riga Regional Court will release full verdict in the criminal case against Lembergs on June 22.

The local elections will be held on June 5.