Ninove (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Ninove’s municipal elections, allegations of proxy vote fraud led to an investigation. Despite concerns, no parties formally contested the results. The investigation, involving Guy D’haeseleer and Forza Ninove, continues.
The local N-VA branch decided not to appeal because of problems with the ongoing investigation. The public prosecutor’s office had taken important election documents. This made it hard to get the information needed for an appeal. Other parties, like the Positive Ninove list, also did not file complaints. They asked the Flemish government to change the rules for local elections.
Other parties wanted more time to file complaints until after the investigation was done. Because no official challenges were made, the election results in Ninove were confirmed. The investigation into the alleged problems is still ongoing.
Was Forza Ninove’s Election Win Valid Amid Fraud Claims?
After the Council for Electoral Disputes rejected their request because of a mistake, three N-VA members went to the Council of State. The Council of State said their petition was valid. However, they decided that the reported issues did not change the election results, so they would not continue with the case.
Lejo Fonteyn, one of the N-VA members, expressed his disappointment. He said it was a shame that complaints did not get enough attention, even with evidence of election rule violations. He noted that they did not have the funds to take the case to the Court of Cassation and would instead focus on being a constructive opposition.
“I think it’s a shame, but we’ll accept it.”
Lejo Fonteyn (N-VA), who submitted the petition
In another election update, the political group Vooruit met Goesting won a major victory in the municipal elections in Gingelom. They received 66.2% of the votes, which gave them 13 out of 19 seats in the local council. This result not only kept their majority but also made it stronger.
In November 2024, three members of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) filed a complaint about the municipal elections in Ninove. They said there were problems like forgery and misuse of personal data. They also mentioned issues with proxy votes.
According to the Council for Electoral Disputes, they could not process the complaint because the members did not provide a joint address. This meant their case was dismissed. Despite this, the East Flanders public prosecutor started an investigation on election day. They looked into the claims of proxy vote fraud. In Ninove, many votes were cast by proxy, which raised more concerns about election fraud. No political party in the Ninove elections challenged the results.
