• Latvijas Avize interviews the candidate of the Concord Centre (CC) for the post of the Prime Minister Nils Usakovs

Latvijas Avize interviews the candidate of the Concord Centre (CC) for the post of the Prime Minister, the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs. According to Mr Usakovs, the CC does not support referendum of granting Russian status of official language in Latvia. At the same time, Mr Usakovs believes that initiative on collection of signatures in support of Russian language was needed as a counterbalance to the initiative by the nationalists party collecting signatures for transition of all state funded schools into Latvian language only. Mr Usakovs also stated that if he becomes the Prime Minister he will continue to take part the 9 May (Victory over the Nazi Germany Day) celebration events in Riga. Mr. Usakovs does not agree that this date splits the society arguing that ethnic Latvians also fought in the Red Army and the celebration events are conducted in Latvian and Russian languages.

• Most popular parties a few days before the elections: the Concord Centre, the Unity, the Zatlers Reforms Party

According to the latest opinion poll conducted by „Latvijas fakti”, the Concord Centre would receive 20,3% of votes in the up-coming Saeima’s elections. 13,6% of respondents would give their votes to the Unity, 11,4% to the Zatlers’ Reforms Party, 8,4% to the Union of Greens and Farmers, and 6,9% to the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!- For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM.

According to the latest opinion poll conducted by „Latvijas fakti, the Concord Centre would receive 20,3% of votes in the up-coming Saeimas elections. 13,6% of respondents would give their votes to the Unity, 11,4% to the Zatlers Reforms Party, 8,4% to the Union of Greens and Farmers, and 6,9% to the nationalists union All for Latvia!- For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM. Telegraf

• 12,400 signatures collected in support of granting Russian status of official language submitted to the Central Election Committee
• Vesti Segodnya reports about a review named Index of Latvianism of the X Saeimas Deputies

The initiators of the collection of signatures in support of granting Russian language the status of official in Latvia submitted 12,400 signatures to the Central Election Committee. The Committee will check the signatures and if those are valid it will launch state funded collection of signatures. About 150,000 signatures must be collected to forward the initiative to the Saeima and if the Saeima does not support the initiative, a national referendum on the subject of the initiative should be initiated.

The initiators of the collection of signatures in support of granting Russian language the status of official in Latvia submitted 12,400 signatures to the Central Election Committee. The Committee will check the signatures and if those are valid it will launch state funded collection of signatures. About 150,000 signatures must be collected to forward the initiative to the Saeima and if the Saeima does not support the initiative, a national referendum on the subject of the initiative should be initiated. Chas, Telegraf

Vesti Segodnya reports that an ex-member of the Civic Union Ieva Nikoleta Dabolina (excluded from the party for nationalistic statements) conducted a review named Index of Latvianism of the X Saeimas Deputies which evaluates the MPs according to their voting for draft amendments regarding ethnic issues, language and issues of civic comfort. According to the review the most ethnic Latvian party is the All for Latvia!-For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM which scored 100%. The least ethnic Latvian party is the Concord Centre which scored -99,5%. The author of the review criticizes the present President of Latvia Andris Bezins alleging that he is the least ethnically-Latvian president .

• Saeima supported the extension of working hours of some polling stations during the parliamentary elections
• Aleksandrs Gaponenko appealed to the Constitutional Court objecting the legal norm which allows only citizens to elect the local government

Yesterday, the majority of the Saeima supported the draft amendments to the Saeima’s Election Law extending working hours of some polling stations during the parliamentary elections. The draft amendments were proposed following the appeal of the Jewish religious community asking to extend the working hours of the polling stations due to the Shabbat. Traditionally the elections are held on Saturday from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m. but accoding to the amendments some of the poling stations will be opened until 10 p.m.

Yesterday, the majority of the Saeima supported the draft amendments to the Saeimas Election Law extending working hours of some polling stations during the parliamentary elections. The draft amendments were proposed following the appeal of the Jewish religious community asking to extend the working hours of the polling stations due to the Shabbat. Traditionally the elections are held on Saturday from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m. but accoding to the amendments some of the poling stations will be opened until 10 p.m. Latvijas Avize

Head of the United Congress of Russian NGOs in Latvia Aleksandrs Gaponenko appealed to the Constitutional Court claiming to acknowledge that the norm of the Law on Local Election which stipulates that only citizens can elect the local government does not correspond to the Latvian Constitution. Mr Gaponenko believes that the law discriminates non-citizens. 

Head of the United Congress of Russian NGOs in Latvia Aleksandrs Gaponenko appealed to the Constitutional Court claiming to acknowledge that the norm of the Law on Local Election which stipulates that only citizens can elect the local government does not correspond to the Latvian Constitution. Mr Gaponenko believes that the law discriminates non-citizens. Vesti Segodnya

Telegraf: ethnic voting might be overcome at the up-coming Saeimas elections

NGOs remind the European and international institutions about the problem of non-citizenship in Latvia

According to

According to Telegraf, ethnic voting might be overcome at the up-coming Saeimas elections. The newspaper notes that some so-called traditionally ethnic Latvian parties started to address the Russian speaking residents by translating agitation materials and web pages into Russian. Political scientist Ivars Ijabs believes that a desire to overcome the ethnic split grew for representatives of both ethnic communities. Mr Ijabs also believes that ethnic Latvian parties do not address the Russian speaking residents because do not know how to speak to them.

NGOs the Latvian Human Rights Committee, the Humanitarian Perspective and the Union of Citizens and Non-citizens appealed to the European and international institutions reminding about the problem of mass scale non-citizenship in Latvia. The authors of the appeal believe that naturalisation mechanism is ineffective and does not solve the problem; in the meantime, 15 October 2011 will mark 20 years since Latvian residents were divided into citizens and non-citizens.

NGOs the Latvian Human Rights Committee, the Humanitarian Perspective and the Union of Citizens and Non-citizens appealed to the European and international institutions reminding about the problem of mass scale non-citizenship in Latvia. The authors of the appeal believe that naturalisation mechanism is ineffective and does not solve the problem; in the meantime, 15 October 2011 will mark 20 years since Latvian residents were divided into citizens and non-citizens. Vesti Segodnya