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

State President G.Ulmanis considers that last week party consultations and activities show that there is a possibility to form a majority government. The President likes especially the position of

State President G.Ulmanis considers that last week party consultations and activities show that there is a possibility to form a majority government. The President likes especially the position of TB/LNNK. After returning from his European trip, G.Ulmanis met with representatives of several patriots to find the a solution for the task of forming a government. He expressed an opinion that parties should give up their ambitions concerning certain persons and agree about the basis they could proceed to form the new government. G.Ulmanis agreed to the statement of TB/LNNK that a minority government had no perspectives. The President also informed that during his visit many foreign officials inquired about A.Skele - why he as the leader of the winning party had not received a support to form a government. Ulmaniss answer was that if A.Skele would get support of the majority at the Saeima, he would be entrusted to form the government. But Skeles latest speech on the radio shows that he is ready to give up his claim for the post of the Prime Minister and Peoples Party is ready to discuss formation of the government on taking into consideration the opinions of other two major parties. Neatkariga, Bizness & Baltiya

The Board of

The Board of Peoples Party in its extraordinary meeting has taken a very serious decision. A.Skele announced that, willing to stop uncertainty, the Board had decided that there were only two acceptable principles for forming government coalition - either in the coalition with TB/LNNK and Latvijas Cels or to remain in opposition. Due to ideological reasons Peoples Party can not accept a coalition with participation of Social Democrats. As the last week announcement of TB/LNNK almost completely corresponds to the position of Peoples Party, it is up to TB/LNNK to say the decisive word. The Chairman of TB/LNNK M.Grinblats, commenting on this, said that A.Skele overestimated the importance of TB/LNNK and that also the opinion of Latvijas Cels was important. Neatkariga, Diena, Jauna Avize, SM, Chas, Bizness & Baltiya

The Chairman of

The Chairman of Latvijas Cels A.Pantelejevs told Diena that party consultations would not help the President who had to make a decision on the first candidate for the post of the Prime Minister, and then government formation consultations would start from the very beginning. Diena

Yesterday the State President signed amendments to the Law on Citizenship that were supported by the referendum. It is planned that they are to be published in the newspaper

Yesterday the State President signed amendments to the Law on Citizenship that were supported by the referendum. It is planned that they are to be published in the newspaper Latvijas Vestnesis today and, according to law, will take effect after 14 days.

Neatkariga, Diena, Jauna Avize, Bizness & Baltiya

The Board of

The Board of Latvijas Cels expresses its incomprehension about TB/LNNK proposal to amend the Law on Citizenship, making the norms of the law stricter, thus ignoring the results of the national voting. Such a position may cause a situation that further talks with TB/LNNK on possibilities to form a government coalition may end with no results, was a statement in the announcement of the Board. Neatkariga, Jauna Avize

N.Locmele in

Diena analyses the situation with human right principles in Latvian constitution. There have been several attempts to elaborate this aspect in the Satversme but only this month - on October 15 the 6th Saeima in one of its last meetings supplemented it with a new Chapter 8 Human Basic Rights that had to take effect in the nearest future. Diena

Rigas Balss

continues the series of articles about activities of the 6th Saeima Commission on Education, Culture and Science. This time it is about the aspect of human rights. The Head of this Commission A.Seiksts considers that the most important things they managed to achieve in this respect was adoption Satversme chapter on Human Rights. One more important thing the Commission has achieved is that now so-called East Latvians may candidate for citizenship through the procedure of registration. And the Commission was the first to raise the question of easing the procedure for receiving citizenship for Polish people. Commission member V.Dozortsev finds it positive that the problem of Law on Citizenship was solved. Non-citizens now have new possibilities to integrate in the society. He also speaks about the language law the Commission made many proposals to and some other aspects of Commission activities.

The Chairman of New Party R.Pauls in his interview to Lauku Avize said that New Party had not concluded any written agreement with Latvijas Cels, and all 8 their deputies just had to wait what a decision the State President would make on the future Prime Minister. When asked why their party favour V.Kristopans instead of A.Skele, R.Pauls said that during their pre-election visits they noticed that not all people supported Peoples Party, and even then their opinion was not to support A.Skele . The decision to support V.Kristopans came later. Lauku Avize

Lauku Avize

interviews also the leader of interviews also the leader of TB/LNNKTB/LNNK M.Grinblats about the letter of V.Kristopans where he voiced his opinion about M.Grinblats about the letter of V.Kristopans where he voiced his opinion about TB/LNNKTB/LNNK proposal to make the state language law stricter and reprimanded proposal to make the state language law stricter and reprimanded them forthem for their national policy. M.Grinblats agreed that their national policy differed from the one of their national policy. M.Grinblats agreed that their national policy differed from the one of Latvijas CelsLatvijas Cels and Kristopans knew it quite well. and Kristopans knew it quite well. TB/LNNKTB/LNNK will be interested how the new Minister of Foreign Affairs will apply the results of referendum let all the promised goodies would not be just empty promises, whether it will favor integration of Latvia into EU. will be interested how the new Minister of Foreign Affairs will apply the results of referendum let all the promised goodies would not be just empty promises, whether it will favor integration of Latvia into EU. TB/LNNKTB/LNNK have no doubt that a strict language law must be adopted. It should be achieved that non-Latvians study this language not only for a tick, but due to a necessity to know it. have no doubt that a strict language law must be adopted. It should be achieved that non-Latvians study this language not only for a tick, but due to a necessity to know it. L.Smirnova in Russian version of

L.Smirnova in Russian version of Diena writes about the future of minority (particularly Russian) schools in Latvia. She states that there are two radically opposite opinions on this problem, and none of the parties is ready for a constructive dialogue. Diena (Russian version)

Two journalists of

Two journalists of SM visited the Illegal Immigrants Center and interviewed the Head of this institution A.Eglitis. Mr.Eglitis told the journalists that there were 31 persons from Armenia, Chechna, Zaire, Afghanistan, etc. Some time ago there were whole families of Vietnamese, but they had been recently deported to their homeland. Mr. Eglitis told also about everyday life of these people. SM

UNDP Resident Representative to Latvia Mr. Sorensen, speaking about current problems of Latvia, mentioned integration of non-Latvians and was positive about the adopted amendments to the Law on Citizenship characterising them as a large step towards this goal. He also told about UN assistance to Latvia in Latvian language training program.

UNDP Resident Representative to Latvia Mr. Sorensen, speaking about current problems of Latvia, mentioned integration of non-Latvians and was positive about the adopted amendments to the Law on Citizenship characterising them as a large step towards this goal. He also told about UN assistance to Latvia in Latvian language training program. Bizness & Baltiya