Integration monitor

Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

Aug. 1, 2012

  • The Union of Greens and Farmers gathered support of 34 MPs in order to initiate referendum on amendments to referendum legislation
  • US State Department report on religious freedom cites expressions of Anti-Semitism in Latvia 

The Union of Greens and Farmers gathered the support of 34 MPs in order to initiate referendum on recently adopted referendum legislation amendments. Concord Centre MPs supported the initiative. As reported, the amendments maintain the existing two stage procedure on initiation of referendum until 2015, increasing to 50,000 the number of signatures to be collected at the initiators’ own expense (five-fold increase from the currently required 10,000 signatures); starting with 2015, a single-stage signature collection procedure, requiring for 150,000 signatures to be collected at the initiators’ own expense (15-fold increase from the currently required 10,000 signatures). Now, according to legislation currently in force, the President of the Republic of Latvia has to suspend the amendments, while the Central Election Commission has to start collecting signatures of 1/10 of the voters in order to hold a referendum about the amendments. NRA, Vesti Segodnya 

U.S. Department of State issued its annual report on international religious freedom for 2011. Country report on Latvia recognises that Latvian legislation protects the right to the freedom of religion and in general, the government respects religious freedom. However, the report also points out that some sections of society hold Anti-Semitic beliefs and cites cases of desecration of Jewish cemeteries and the desecration of the grave of the saviour of Jews Zanis/Janis Lipke. Chas

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  • Integration Monitor - daily Latvian press digest on minority and social integration issues

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