Lembergs again on stage

RIGA - Ventspils and its colorful Mayor Aivars Lembergs like to do things their own way. The port has its own flag, anthem and even time zone, with the New Year celebrated 33 minutes and 34 seconds after the rest of the country.
But many thought even Lembergs had gone too far when he recently announced to issue his own money. On Oct. 12, he unveiled the “vents” at a press conference in Riga. With a nominal value of 100 venti to one Latvian lats, the notes bear the images of the cow sculptures which decorate the Ventspils streetscape.

Leading up to the unveiling, Lembergs promised to “present our development plans for Ventspils, including the implementation of a concept we are often reproached for - that we are a state within a state.”
“Europe and the world are waiting for Greece’s default, therefore we don’t know if the euro will continue to exist as a currency or European Union member states will return to their national currencies. The lats is pegged to the euro - whatever happens to the euro, affects the lats. Taking this into consideration, we have decided to introduce our own currency in Ventspils – the vents,” said the mayor.

“The time has come for Ventspils to open embassies in many countries because active foreign policy has to be implemented, and I hope that the entire democratic world will recognize us,” said Lembergs, adding that Ventspils’ chances of joining the United Nations and other such issues would also be discussed during the press conference in Riga.

“I, of course, understand that there will be many reproaches, but we do not see any other way. We are very disappointed about the election results, especially the ongoing hypocrisy, indecision and greed of politicians,” said Lembergs. It isn’t clear from the statement whether he was also referring to his own greed, as he is considered one of Latvia’s richest oligarchs.
The exchange of goods and services is not forbidden in Latvia, and in these processes people may well exchange vents, or even candy wrappers, the Bank of Latvia said. The Bank of Latvia stresses, though, that it remains to be seen how people using the vents will pay for budget-funded goods and services.

Article 34 of the Law on the Bank of Latvia states that the national currency of Latvia is the lats. The lats is the only legal tender in Latvia.
The Zatlers’ Reform Party (ZRP) believes that the announcement made by seaside mayor is unconstitutional, and thus the Security Police will be notified, said ZRP spokeswoman Daiga Holma. She noted that attempts to undermine Latvia’s territorial unity is a criminal offense.

Unity politician Karlis Sadurskis said that attorneys should be involved in evaluating these comments by Lembergs, to find out if Latvia’s territorial and political integrity has not been violated.
Finance Minister Andris Vilks (Unity) called Lembergs’ scheme “an early April fool’s day joke.” The minister points out that the lats is the only official currency of Latvia. That is why the minister does not see these announcements by Lembergs as serious enough to comment on at the government level.

Vilks was closest to the mark on the affair. This turns out to be one of the world’s more light-hearted currency launches and is clearly a promotional stunt. Until Dec. 1, visitors to Ventspils can collect 300 venti from the tourism information center and use them to enter the city’s museums and sports facilities.

However, there are other financial questions that Lembergs cannot resolve by printing fantasy dollars. Accused of being one of Latvia’s key oligarchs, he is on trial for bribery, money laundering and abuse of office and 100 million lats (142 euros) of his assets have been frozen by a UK court in litigation over freight fraud.

Although his Union of Greens and Farmers got a pasting at Latvia’s recent polls, he continues to exert a powerful influence on politics, business and the media; recent reports suggest that Lembergs may be one of the real owners of the national daily Diena. But perhaps citizens don’t take him all that seriously anymore – in the last elections an anonymous voter in southern Latvia dropped a 20 lats note in the ballot box on which was written the message, “To Aivars Lembergs for his lifetime contribution to the acting profession.”