Parties not contesting Ninove election results after disputed far-right victory

Following a landmark victory for the far right and the launch of an investigation into possible electoral fraud, parties have decided not to challenge the local election results in the Belgian municipality of Ninove.

Friday marks the deadline for parties to challenge the results of the October 13 local elections. Many wondered whether local parties in Ninove would appeal the victory of Forza Ninove, the local branch of the far-right Vlaams Belang party.

On Wednesday, it became clear that this would not happen, as the Flemish nationalist party N-VA announced that it did not intend to file an objection with the country's council for electoral disputes. Other local parties had previously said they would not contest the result.

Illegal recruitment of proxies

A judicial investigation into possible electoral fraud in Ninove is still ongoing. It has not yet been confirmed which party is the target of the investigation, but it is believed to center on the illegal recruitment of proxies by Forza Ninove. The high number of proxy votes cast in Ninove suggests that the scale of the fraud may have been large enough to change the outcome of the election. 

The judicial investigation could still lead to criminal charges

Forza Ninove won an absolute majority in the East Flemish city. The victory is historic for Vlaams Belang, as it is the first time the party has secured a seat of power in the country. The judicial investigation does not directly affect the validity of the election, but could still lead to criminal charges.

Investigation complicates filing objection

According to N-VA and Positief Ninove, the party of outgoing mayor Tania De Jonge, the judicial investigation complicates the filing of an objection with the electoral disputes council. "The list of people who voted by proxy is no longer in the electoral file because all the documents have been confiscated by the public prosecutor's office," the N-VA said in a press release on Wednesday.

^{Guy D'Haeseleer of Forza Ninove on the eve of the municipal elections on Sunday 13 October 2024 © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}