Former minister Uzulnieks, arrested driving drunk at 3.09 per mille, says he'll take up Saeima seat

Former Welfare Minister Reinis Uzulnieks announced on Facebook that if elected to the Saeima, Latvia's parliament, he will accept the mandate and intends to get involved in efforts to curb alcohol abuse and other addictions in the country.

Uzulnieks was detained on September 12 for driving with a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 3.09 per mille. A criminal process was launched over the incident, and he lost his ministerial post and was expelled from the Latvian Farmers' Union. He nevertheless retained the top spot on the Union of Greens and Farmers' candidate list in Zemgale, since it was too late to change the list before the election.

A pledge to stop drinking

The politician says that in recent days many people have asked whether he would serve in the Saeima if elected, and he has decided to accept the mandate in order to help the most socially vulnerable groups in society. He acknowledges making a very serious mistake and says he intends to stop drinking alcohol going forward — in his words, this is not merely a public promise but a decision he made to himself and to his family.

Legal background

Māris Zviedris, chairman of the Central Election Commission, has explained that Uzulnieks can no longer be removed from the candidate list, since that requires a court ruling, which does not exist in this case. Leaving the party also has no effect on his candidacy, since non-party members are allowed on election lists. The candidate himself will only be able to withdraw his candidacy after the final election results are confirmed.

Uzulnieks adds that several organizations have reached out to him and that work is set to begin on establishing a new trade union to support people working in the social sector.