Press Review

Prime-Minister Skele at his press-conference said that situation in Latvia is undergoing positive changes. The Prime-Minister will prepare a detailed report of the country's development in February. He promised to return part of his salary to the Government or to donate it to charity if the report showed that not all of the aims were fulfilled. Skele believes that the number of ministers and Government officials should be decreased. He named settling of border issues among the priorities of Latvia's foreign policy. The Prime-Minister refused to reveal any details of the changes in the mandate of the Latvian Delegation to the border talks with Russia.

Prime-Minister Skele at his press-conference said that situation in Latvia is undergoing positive changes. The Prime-Minister will prepare a detailed report of the country's development in February. He promised to return part of his salary to the Government or to donate it to charity if the report showed that not all of the aims were fulfilled. Skele believes that the number of ministers and Government officials should be decreased. He named settling of border issues among the priorities of Latvia's foreign policy. The Prime-Minister refused to reveal any details of the changes in the mandate of the Latvian Delegation to the border talks with Russia. Diena

The Cabinet of Ministers is planning to adopt several legal acts during the

The Cabinet of Ministers is planning to adopt several legal acts during the Saeima Christmas vacations in accordance with Article 81 of the Satversme. According to the amendments introduced to the Satversme by the Saeima, acts adopted by the Cabinet are to be approved by the Saeima within six months after the adoption allowing the Saeima to block the acts. Diena

Minister of Justice Dzintars Rasnacs (

Minister of Justice Dzintars Rasnacs ("Tevzemei un Brivibai") objects to capital punishment. Still, he believes that the Latvian legislation should provide for capital punishment "at least formally", since it is supported by the majority of the country's inhabitants. In his interview for "SM" Rasnacs said that restrictions on the rights of non-citizens should not be reviewed under the existing situation. Rasnacs says that he can substantiate any of sixty differences between the rights of citizens and non-citizens. The European community requirements are recommending documents and do not require mandatory fulfillment. In this connection Rasnacs mentions van der Stoel's recommendations on the Citizenship Law. A much stricter variant still was accepted by the Council of Europe. Mr. Rasnacs insists on retaining the "nationality" paragraph in passports. He believes that ethnic Latvians need special support and points at the fact that Latvia is a national state with ethnic Latvians forming its basis. He does not believe naturalization to be too slow. Non-citizens should make the choice with one of the options being to leave the country. Requirements toward the knowledge of the Latvian language and a person's loyalty to Latvia should be expressed in the legislation in a more strict way. SM

Press Report

Press Report

Yesterday the

Yesterday the Saeima replaced its Deputy-Secretary Janina Kusnere ("Latvijai") by Maris Rudzitis ("Tautai un Taisnibai"). The reason for relieving Kusnere of her duties was the use of a Saeima car for private trips. Mrs. Kusnere has spent twenty thousand Lats from the Saeima budget on transportation this year. Diena The Ministry of the Interior demands amending the Law on State Secrets. The Law coming into force on January 1, 1997, bans non-citizens from accessing classified information. The Ministry suggests lifting the ban until 2003, giving non-citizens time to receive citizenship through naturalization. The Law will force non-citizens working as detectives and police officers to leave the force. The Ministry of the Interior also objects against a draft form to be filled out by those applying for access to confidential information. The form, among other questions, requires characterizing an applicants colleagues and bosses. Secretary of the National Security Committee Gundars Zalkalns believes that the restrictions should not be canceled. The only compromise that he could agree to is allowing non-citizens' access to confidential information for six months giving the Ministry time to replace them by citizens. Diena

A "DIENA" correspondent in Moscow believes that Russia is trying to block Baltic membership in European Union and NATO by the Baltic states. Estonia has renounced all territorial claims toward Russia while Latvia is likely to act in a similar way. The author of the article expects that Russia will deliberately defer border delimitation talks with the two countries and put forward new demands connected mainly with the rights of Russian-speakers. Diena

Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs State Secretary Jan Eliasson in an interview for

Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs State Secretary Jan Eliasson in an interview for "NEATKARIGA" said that security of the Baltic states is among the priorities of the Swedish foreign policy. While touching upon human rights in Latvia, Mr. Eliasson admitted there was a problem of the Russia-speaking minority. The situation had been considered in the "context of the OSCE requirements" and accepted by the international community, said Eliasson. He added that the minority problem was often exaggerated "outside Latvia." Neatkariga

Press Review

Procurator General Janis Skrastins in his article for

Procurator General Janis Skrastins in his article for "DIENA" pointed at the fact that Latvia had not acceded to the Sixth Protocol to the European Human Rights Convention. The Protocol recommends abolishing capital punishment. Several European countries have not signed the Sixth Protocol. Still, most European Union countries have abolished capital punishment. According to Skrastins, the European experience shows that the number of murders in a country does not depend on whether the country's legislation provides for capital punishment. Although the majority of a country="s" population traditionally objects against abolishing capital punishment, most European governments have ignored public opinion. Skrastins suggests to apply capital punishment in exceptional cases and to analyze the crime situation in the country under the President's moratorium on death penalty. Diena

"DIENA"

journalist Ainars Dimants claims that only thirty-four restrictions of non-citizens' rights out of seventy listed by Tsilevich have remained in the Latvian legislation. None of them, according to Dimants, restricts non-citizens' political rights. He refers to Kaija Gertnere, who said that ten differences between the rights of citizens and non-citizens contradict the European Human Rights Convention. Two of these restrictions (banning non-citizens from being elected to a church parish council and depriving non-citizens of the right to be released from a penitentiary on amnesty) have been already abolished. Dimants stresses the importance of legislative initiative for improving the human rights situation in the country. journalist Ainars Dimants claims that only thirty-four restrictions of non-citizens' rights out of seventy listed by Tsilevich have remained in the Latvian legislation. None of them, according to Dimants, restricts non-citizens' political rights. He refers to Kaija Gertnere, who said that ten differences between the rights of citizens and non-citizens contradict the European Human Rights Convention. Two of these restrictions (banning non-citizens from being elected to a church parish council and depriving non-citizens of the right to be released from a penitentiary on amnesty) have been already abolished. Dimants stresses the importance of legislative initiative for improving the human rights situation in the country. Diena, PLDiena, PL According to “SM”, Council of Europe experts have not discovered any contradictions between the Latvian legislation and the European Human Rights Convention. During their meetings with Latvian authorities the experts recommended granting the right for education to foreigners residing in Latvia and abolishing capital punishment.

According to SM, Council of Europe experts have not discovered any contradictions between the Latvian legislation and the European Human Rights Convention. During their meetings with Latvian authorities the experts recommended granting the right for education to foreigners residing in Latvia and abolishing capital punishment. SM

"PANORAMA LATVII" reports on Mr. Paperny's case. Paperny's mother was born in Daugavpils was a citizen of Latvia before 1941, and was kept in a concentration camp by the Nazis. The Vidzeme CID office refused to issue Mr. Paperny with a citizen's passport although he had a "citizenship stamp@ in his USSR passport. The CID demanded additional confirmation of his mother's right for citizenship. Paperny applied to the court, the Procurator's Office, and to the OSCE Mission. Finally, the CID office demanded Mrs. Paperny's skull measurements to prove her identity. The OSCE Mission representative called the demand "absurd." PL

Press Report

Press Report

The Human Rights Office has worked out a document listing the differences between the rights of citizens and non-citizens. Initially, the list was drafted by Boris Tsilevich several years ago. The final version of the document by the Office was discussed by V.Dozortsev (

The Human Rights Office has worked out a document listing the differences between the rights of citizens and non-citizens. Initially, the list was drafted by Boris Tsilevich several years ago. The final version of the document by the Office was discussed by V.Dozortsev (Saeima deputy, member of the Consultative Council on Nationalities), A.Seiksts (Chairman of the Saeima Human Rights Committee), B.Tsilevich (political scientist), and L.Raihman of the Latvian Human Rights Committee. At a press-conference held last week the participants of the discussion stressed that the document was the first official recognition of discrepancies between the Latvian legislation and international norms. The document lists sixty-one differences between the rights of citizens and non-citizens and singles out 34 of them for non-compliance with international norms. The Office found ten differences contradicting international obligations taken by Latvia. Mr. Dozortsev criticized the list prepared by the Office for being inconsistent. He believed contradictions between the restrictions on the rights of non-citizens and international norms to be more numerous and said that the Office displayed a politically biased approach. Boris Tsilevich stressed that "the Russian threat" was a poor excuse for discriminating non-citizens, since the majority (80%) of Latvia="s" population are citizens. SM

A closed meeting of the Cabinet supported a proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on settling the Latvian-Russian border issue. The essence of the proposal has not been revealed to the press by the Ministry. The date of the next round of the border talks has not been agreed on yet. Both Prime-Minister Skele and President Ulmanis said that they did not believe mentioning the 1920 Riga Peace Treaty to be an indispensable part of the border agreement.

A closed meeting of the Cabinet supported a proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on settling the Latvian-Russian border issue. The essence of the proposal has not been revealed to the press by the Ministry. The date of the next round of the border talks has not been agreed on yet. Both Prime-Minister Skele and President Ulmanis said that they did not believe mentioning the 1920 Riga Peace Treaty to be an indispensable part of the border agreement. Neatkariga

Press Report

Chief of the Immigration Police Aivars Kurpnieks told the press yesterday that thirteen illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Angola, Sudan and Iran could not be given a refugee status. Those persons will be expelled from Latvia. Seventy-four immigrants left the Olaine Camp yesterday and will be received by Denmark, Sweden and Australia. Mr. Kurpnieks said that the Olaine Camp will not be closed. He believes that more illegal immigrants might manage to enter Latvia using the country as transit state on their way to West-European and Nordic countries.

Chief of the Immigration Police Aivars Kurpnieks told the press yesterday that thirteen illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Angola, Sudan and Iran could not be given a refugee status. Those persons will be expelled from Latvia. Seventy-four immigrants left the Olaine Camp yesterday and will be received by Denmark, Sweden and Australia. Mr. Kurpnieks said that the Olaine Camp will not be closed. He believes that more illegal immigrants might manage to enter Latvia using the country as transit state on their way to West-European and Nordic countries. Diena

The Council of Europe experts in a report to the European Commission pointed at corruption in the Latvian state institution. The report recommends Latvian Government to investigate cases of unlawful pressure on the Ministry of Finance, the Customs Department, and the State Revenue Service by senior Government officials.

The Council of Europe experts in a report to the European Commission pointed at corruption in the Latvian state institution. The report recommends Latvian Government to investigate cases of unlawful pressure on the Ministry of Finance, the Customs Department, and the State Revenue Service by senior Government officials. Diena