Latvian Seimas demands to punish deputy for video in Russian

The Saeima of Latvia has prepared a statement to the Commission on Mandates, Ethics and Applications with an appeal to initiate a case on ethical violation because of a video in Russian made in the Seimas conference room, the correspondent of the Minsk-Novosti news agency reports.

Photo is illustrative, pexels.com

On the first working day of the Seimas of the 15th convocation, November 3, Andrey Pagore, a deputy of the Sovereign Power party, published a video in TikTok in Russian about the agenda of the first meeting. On the same day, he took the oath and received parliamentary powers.

Now the video on the account of the Deputy is not available, but copies are distributed in social networks.

According to the Chairman of the Saeima Edward Smiltens and members of the Presidium, such behavior contradicts the oath of the Deputy to strengthen the Latvian language as the only state language. Deputies are obliged to use the state language in the premises of the Seimas when communicating with each other and the public.

The Latvian language is the foundation and value of our state, which every member of the Seimas must respect, honor and strengthen. To address the society in Russian from the sitting room of the Seimas on the same day means to show disrespect to the just given oath, said Smiltens.

The Commission is invited to assess Pagor’s behavior and apply appropriate sanctions in case of violation.