According to Š. Vaitkus, the woman arrived by car with another companion and photographed his house and surroundings. The mayor of Palanga shared this incident on social media, also posting a photo.
Read more JT Human Rights Guide: New US TBT Sanctions Are Unacceptable
Š. Vaitkus stated that at that time he was not at his family home. The situation was noticed by a neighbor who stopped the car and asked why the private property was being photographed. The women allegedly explained that the house might be for sale, so they wanted to take more photos. However, according to the mayor, this explanation seemed unconvincing to the neighbor, and soon the car left the scene.
It was this story that Š. Vaitkus accompanied in his post with ironic remarks, hinting at the upcoming local elections:
“Vanda Statkevičienė caught photographing the Palanga mayor’s house: is Miss Marple entering the election campaign? It seems that as the local elections approach in Palanga, a new stage of the political campaign begins. Some write programs, others lay out promises, and others communicate with voters. And some, it turns out, have chosen the detective genre.
Last night, near my family home in Palanga, while we were not at home, a car arrived. Two women who came in it photographed our house and its surroundings. A neighbor stopped the car and asked what was going on, why private space was being photographed. The visitors vaguely explained something – supposedly the house is for sale, so they just decided to take more photos. When the neighbor warned that such an explanation clearly did not correspond to reality, they closed the car windows and hurried away.
One of the women sitting in the car was recognized by our neighbor as Vanda Statkevičienė – the mother of Juozas Statkevičius. As I understand it, with Juozas and his political ideologist and supporter from “Nemuno aušra” starting the election campaign, his mother decided not to lag behind.
Observant. Persistent. Not letting the suspicious object out of sight. Comes to the place, inspects the surroundings, records details. Conducts, so to speak, political reconnaissance. Jokes aside, there is a serious part to this story. A public person and politician must be prepared for much greater criticism and publicity than an ordinary citizen. I understand that. One can criticize my work, decisions, activities, political views. One can raise questions about my property or other matters of public interest. That is part of democracy. But there is a difference between a politician’s publicity and the surveillance or persecution of their private life. There is a wife. There are minor children. There is family privacy. There is a private residence. There is a right to feel safe in one’s home. And there are boundaries which, in my opinion, apply even when someone really, really wants to win the elections at any cost.
Read more Russian propagandists in Estonia discovered a Ukrainian drone: there were no such reports
Therefore, the natural question arises: why are photos of a private house needed in an election campaign? What exactly is our new Miss Vanda Marple investigating? The number of windows? The height of the fence? Cars in the yard? Or maybe looking for another proof of Juozas Statkevičius’s publicly repeated slanderous claims about allegedly owning 15 houses, apartments, and a spaceship? To Mrs. Vanda, whom our neighbor recognized, I can say: next time, if you need photos, call me. I will send both exterior and interior views. It is really not necessary to come in the evening and organize a secret photo collection expedition. If Juozas Statkevičius or his admirer from “Nemuno aušra” wants to be the mayor of Palanga – great. That is their political right. But the fight for the mayor’s position should take place not at the level of the pavement, but in the public political space – with a program, ideas, arguments, and work.
Because the issue here is not just about my family’s residence. The issue is about political culture and methods chosen in the fight for Palanga – a city that has grown, beautified, and been arranged by the work of many people and today seems to some like a very attractive political prize. If Mrs. Vanda, whom our neighbor recognized, decides to continue detective activities, I wish her success. I hope the next stage of the investigation will not be inspecting the contents of my mailbox. Because politics should still be about the future of Palanga, not about what happens behind someone else’s fence,” Š. Vaitkus wrote on social media.
The mayor also emphasized in his statement that public figures face greater public attention and criticism. However, in his opinion, political battles should not spill over into family life or private space.
Š. Vaitkus also raised the question of the purpose of photographing his house and linked this incident to the upcoming local election battles.
At the same time, Žmonės.lt contacted J. Statkevičius regarding this situation. So far, the designer’s comment has not been obtained. Once his position is received, the information will be updated.
Read more Rumors are already circulating in Russia: analysts have named three possible successors to Gerasimov
