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.

 

Press Review

DP Saimnieks plans to start consultations with other centrist parties on possibilities of co-operation, and it is possible that the party could come to the elections of the 7th Saeima with some other political group. At its meeting on Wednesday, the party decided to summon the party congress to confirm the list of candidates, to discuss formation of the shadow cabinet and organisational issues, as well as electing a new president. Diena, Jauna Avize, Bizness & Baltiya, SM

There was a sharp discussion on the draft state language law for the third reading at the Saeima Human Rights Commission. Several articles regulating language use in private businesses do not correspond to OSCE High Commissioner Max van der Stoel’s recommendations and CE experts’ findings. When discussing this issue, a debate arose between the deputies J.Vidins (

There was a sharp discussion on the draft state language law for the third reading at the Saeima Human Rights Commission. Several articles regulating language use in private businesses do not correspond to OSCE High Commissioner Max van der Stoels recommendations and CE experts findings. When discussing this issue, a debate arose between the deputies J.Vidins (Tevzemei un Brivibai/LNNK ) and V.Dozorcev (Peoples Harmony Party). The Commission considered that every person should have right to solve his problems and communicate in the state language not only at the state institutions but also with private businesses, thus contradicting EU experts and V.Dozorcevss opinion. J.Vidins stressed that 80% of all business will be in private hands, and the state should not neglect language use in such a wide sphere. Diena

Russian version of

Russian version of Diena publishes an interview with Denis Sergin - a student of Russian Baltic Institute, who was present at the conference On the Road to a United Society in Europe. The participants of the conference were surprised by his emotional warning, Dont cut off Russian youth! Denis is looking for his way to politics and is afraid to be superfluous - as a Russian, as a non-citizen. He stated that Russian youngsters did not want to be publicly active. They believed that the state would neglect their problems. Denis himself plans to get Latvian citizenship when the window mechanism is opened and to become a lawyer.

Bizness & Baltiya also writes about this conference and gives its opinion on this event. The author of the article considers that an integrated society has always existed in Latvia. You just need to remember that this society did not let to provoke it in 1991, withstood the economic difficulties of 1995, kept cool in 1998. Presence of integration was proved by the results of a scientific research done upon a request of the Naturalisation Board before this conference. Politicians are the ones who split the society. Therefore the discussion must be not about integration of Russian speakers into Latvian speaking environment but of integration of politicians into the society. And the main driving force for integration is not the language but economic interests. Bizness & Baltiya,

SM adds to these comments its own that there was too mach talk about the Latvian language and the very understanding of integration was wrong. It should be looked upon as a mutual movement of two groups of the society towards each other. It is a way of mutual compromises.

Chas informs about the catastrophic situation with issuing of non-citizen passports at the Latgalian Suburb office of DCMA where people have to start queuing up at 3 a.m. to hope to receive a non-citizen passport in 12 days through the process of quick issuing, otherwise it would take months to get one. The correspondent interviewed the Head of the office A.Purens. Mr. Purens explained this queuing up as an inherited habit, but he had not noticed any people at the office at night. When asked why officials received clients only four hours a day, he answered that the employees had to draw up forms, download the information in the computer, and he could not force people to work more effectively because their salary was 60 Ls before taxes. The Deputy Head of the DCMA A.Lejins, after having listened to all this, told that things were even worse at the Kurzeme office and the correspondent should have gone to the Vidzeme office where everything was OK.

Panorama Latvii comments on OSCE High Commissioner Max van der Stoels letter to the Prime Minister G.Krasts where High Commissioner gave his comments only to the second version objecting to the procedure of receiving citizenship.