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

Press Review

The Central Election Committee has decided to hold the collection of signatures in support of the referendum on the citizenship law amendments from 20 July till 18 August.According to the Law on Public Referendums and Legislative initiatives, the full name, the identification number of each signatory who supports the petition for the referendum, and the date of signing shall be entered in the petition list. After the petition is signed, the authorized person makes a relevant entry in the citizen's passport or any other document used instead of the passport. The former Director of the NHRO Kaija Gertnere told 

The Central Election Committee has decided to hold the collection of signatures in support of the referendum on the citizenship law amendments from 20 July till 18 August.According to the Law on Public Referendums and Legislative initiatives, the full name, the identification number of each signatory who supports the petition for the referendum, and the date of signing shall be entered in the petition list. After the petition is signed, the authorized person makes a relevant entry in the citizen's passport or any other document used instead of the passport. The former Director of the NHRO Kaija Gertnere toldDiena that during the similar collection of the signatures in support of the draft Citizenship Law prepared by the Tevzemei un Brivibai/LNNK in 1996, some people expressed a concern about the possible problems with employers in case their passports contained the stamp witnessing their participation in the process of the collection. At that time the NHRO office submitted to the Saeima Human Rights Committee a proposal to abolish this requirement for the entry in the passports. It, however, has not been considered in the Saeima. Diena

The EU Commissioner Hans van der Brook thinks that Latvia has considerably improved its indicators, and done economic and political progress, the EU deputy Ernest Kavale told 

The EU Commissioner Hans van der Brook thinks that Latvia has considerably improved its indicators, and done economic and political progress, the EU deputy Ernest Kavale toldDiena.

The Latvian Foreign Affairs Minister Valdis Birkavs intends to visit St. Petersburg on 6 and 7 July to meet with the Governor of St. Petersburg Vladimir Jakovlev. The visit is a part of the dialogue between Latvia and Russian regions. Yesterday at the press conference, Mr.. Valdis Birkavs also said that the Latvian ambassadors are prepared to inform the international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the ERDB, and the WTO about the Russian economic sanctions against Latvia.

The Latvian Foreign Affairs Minister Valdis Birkavs intends to visit St. Petersburg on 6 and 7 July to meet with the Governor of St. Petersburg Vladimir Jakovlev. The visit is a part of the dialogue between Latvia and Russian regions. Yesterday at the press conference, Mr.. Valdis Birkavs also said that the Latvian ambassadors are prepared to inform the international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the ERDB, and the WTO about the Russian economic sanctions against Latvia. Diena

Yesterday at the press conference representatives of the

Yesterday at the press conference representatives of the TB/LNNK explained the activities of the party concerning the suspension of the Citizenship law amendments. The leader of the party Maris Grinblats said that the call for the referendum corresponds with the party program. According to Mr.Grinblats, there are significant disagreements among politicians concerning the Citizenship Law, therefore the Latvian society has to express its opinion and in such a way end the discussion. Chas, B&B

The Chair of the Latvian Parliamentary delegation to the EU Inese Birzniece thinks that the impeding of the implementation of the Citizenship Law amendments might put Latvia in an ambiguous situation, since the European Union and the United States have already welcomed the amendments, and the US have even allocated half of the million dollars for the implementation of the amendments. Ms. Birzniece is against the referendum and considers it as a pre-election trick by the

The Chair of the Latvian Parliamentary delegation to the EU Inese Birzniece thinks that the impeding of the implementation of the Citizenship Law amendments might put Latvia in an ambiguous situation, since the European Union and the United States have already welcomed the amendments, and the US have even allocated half of the million dollars for the implementation of the amendments. Ms. Birzniece is against the referendum and considers it as a pre-election trick by the Tevzemei un Brivibai/LNNK. SM

SM publishes an article about the long queues of people wanting to exchange their passports at the Kurzemes District DCMA. According to SM, some 500,000 non-citizens still do not have got their Aliens Passports.

According to the information presented by the Operative Division of the Boarder Guards, yesterday five persons who possessed the former USSR internal passports were not allowed to cross the Russian-Latvian border in Zilupe.

According to the information presented by the Operative Division of the Boarder Guards, yesterday five persons who possessed the former USSR internal passports were not allowed to cross the Russian-Latvian border in Zilupe. Jauna Avize

B&B publishes an interview with the State President Guntis Ulmanis in which he argues that Latvia still lives in age when the national or territorial issues were the basis of politics although during the last years the human rights have become the key-issue of the world politics. According to Mr. Ulmanis, here in Latvia the concept of the human rights is perceived from the viewpoint of the "Latvian-Russian" and the "citizen-alien."