August referendums and rumours

This morning the Central Election Bureau announced that the referendum about changes in pension laws will take place on August 23. As I already wrote yesterday in the Saeima there were 46 MP's without any opinion on their own, thus their abstained votes yesterday lead to another referendum in Latvia. Both authors of popular motions started their campaign almost in the same time to save the costs and to held both referendums at the same time. Latvian MP's are afraid to lose their benefits. Thus apprehending possibly positive outcome if referendum would take place on the same date, they decided to have the referendum about constitutional amendments on August 2 and changes in pension laws on August 23.

The fact that holding referendums separately would cost taxpayers additional 2,1 mlj. lats (3 mlj euros) does not deter MP' at all. Quite the contrary, the government PR specialists and conservative media outlets have managed to spread rumours that leaders of popular motions act irresponsibly, because it would have been more profitable to add up those two referendum total costs (6 mlj euros) to the meagre pensions. Just the PR specialists TOTALLY FORGET the fact that they preach contrary to their earlier announcements. What about government announcing that we live in times of contracting economy, that any unnecessary expenses (!!) should be avoided, 5% of existing civil servants must be sacked, and 5,9% of annual budget expenditures or 22mlj lats slashed? Believe it or not, but rather many underprivileged people believe in those rumours, because they are easier to comprehend...hmjaaa, and it is smth. the future referendum campaign organizers must really think about:)