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 Report

Press Report

Latvia has developed a legislative project for European Parliament elections, which foresees forming a special election register and allows former KGB agents to run for parliament members. The current laws regulating parliament and municipal elections in Latvia do not allow former KGB agents to become parliament or local council members. The new legislative project does not foresee any such restrictions, stating that any Latvian or EU citizen older than 21 on election day may run for the European Parliament. Ballots will not be accepted only for people that are incapable, are serving time at prison or are unable to speak the state language according to the highest standard of language ability.

Latvia has developed a legislative project for European Parliament elections, which foresees forming a special election register and allows former KGB agents to run for parliament members. The current laws regulating parliament and municipal elections in Latvia do not allow former KGB agents to become parliament or local council members. The new legislative project does not foresee any such restrictions, stating that any Latvian or EU citizen older than 21 on election day may run for the European Parliament. Ballots will not be accepted only for people that are incapable, are serving time at prison or are unable to speak the state language according to the highest standard of language ability. BNS, Vesti Segodnya

Latvia's top security office, the Constitutional Protection Office, will be looking into the claims and civil war threats made by the scandalous Vieda publishing house director in a letter handed to the EU enlargement commissioner, Gunter Verheugen, last week in Latvia. The Constitutional protection office deputy head Uldis Dzenitis told BNS that the office will be acting according to requests made by Prime Minister Andris Berzins last week, checking up on the motivation for such a letter. Dzenitis reported that the security office does not see anything criminally offensive in the actual letter, but will be giving an official report this week.

Latvia's top security office, the Constitutional Protection Office, will be looking into the claims and civil war threats made by the scandalous Vieda publishing house director in a letter handed to the EU enlargement commissioner, Gunter Verheugen, last week in Latvia. The Constitutional protection office deputy head Uldis Dzenitis told BNS that the office will be acting according to requests made by Prime Minister Andris Berzins last week, checking up on the motivation for such a letter. Dzenitis reported that the security office does not see anything criminally offensive in the actual letter, but will be giving an official report this week. BNS, Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Panorama Latvii

On Friday Social Democrats plan to decide on exchanging the current Saeima faction leader E.Baldzens with somebody else more favored by Party Chairman J.Bojars and MPs. The possible candidate could be MP Viola Lazo.

On Friday Social Democrats plan to decide on exchanging the current Saeima faction leader E.Baldzens with somebody else more favored by Party Chairman J.Bojars and MPs. The possible candidate could be MP Viola Lazo. Diena

Political scientist A.Pabriks writes about Latvia’s possibilities to join NATO. One of the tasks for Latvia to join this organization was to make the political situation here more stable because it was not a secret that one of the potential sources of political instability and international discussion is considered the relations between the state and ethnic minorities, integration of immigrants from former USSR republics into Latvian society. EU and NATO do not want to turn Latvia into a Russian speaking country where Latvian language and identity is endangered. It is in the interest of these states to see a stable and united Latvian society here. And many things have been achieved – Latvian nation in a referendum voted for a European solution to the problem of citizenship, in 1999 was adopted the State language law that was in compliance with EU, OSCE and US opinion and international standards. In spite of internal opposition, Latvia managed to rationalize state language testing mechanism by introducing united Latvian language test and harmonizing it with the demands for naturalization. And finally was adopted the law on integration fund allowing our political allies in Europe and US to start a wide public integration program. But there are several issues that put obstacles on Latvia’s way to NATO - firstly, disharmony between implementation of national minority education programs and transition of national minority secondary schools to tuition in the Latvian language, secondly - the legal norm of the sea election law stipulating that a person elected to the Saeima, local government should have the highest state language proficiency level.

Political scientist A.Pabriks writes about Latvias possibilities to join NATO. One of the tasks for Latvia to join this organization was to make the political situation here more stable because it was not a secret that one of the potential sources of political instability and international discussion is considered the relations between the state and ethnic minorities, integration of immigrants from former USSR republics into Latvian society. EU and NATO do not want to turn Latvia into a Russian speaking country where Latvian language and identity is endangered. It is in the interest of these states to see a stable and united Latvian society here. And many things have been achieved – Latvian nation in a referendum voted for a European solution to the problem of citizenship, in 1999 was adopted the State language law that was in compliance with EU, OSCE and US opinion and international standards. In spite of internal opposition, Latvia managed to rationalize state language testing mechanism by introducing united Latvian language test and harmonizing it with the demands for naturalization. And finally was adopted the law on integration fund allowing our political allies in Europe and US to start a wide public integration program. But there are several issues that put obstacles on Latvias way to NATO - firstly, disharmony between implementation of national minority education programs and transition of national minority secondary schools to tuition in the Latvian language, secondly - the legal norm of the sea election law stipulating that a person elected to the Saeima, local government should have the highest state language proficiency level. Diena

Vesti Segodnya

writes that now there are followers of A.Garda who try to infect with nationalism not only students and pupils of higher grades but also 9 – 13 years old children. This time the guilty is the monthly periodical for teenagers Mana where was announced a contest What it means for me to be a Latvian. The title itself does not contain any reprehensible idea but the note what the organizers of this contest hope to see in the works of children, If the fate of Latvians on their ethnic Fatherland worries you, if you want to make more good for your Fatherland that current Latvian politicians, participate in this contest and you will receive a prize – the book of the Publishing House Vieda We shall not give Latvia to anybody!

Vesti Segodnya

reminds that Valmiera Secondary School No 2 was the first school that in May openly opposed the planned transfer of national minority schools to the tuition in the state language. Representatives of Parents Committee of the school had a discussion with the head of the Saeima Commission on Education, Culture and Science Dz.Abikis during which they insisted that with this transition were violated childrens rights stipulated in the Latvian law On protection of childrens rights and international convention on childrens rights. But Dz.Abikis thinks that they might cherish their national language and culture in the family, cultural societies and Sunday schools if they wished to organize and establish such. He was sure that local government would support their initiatives. Also parents from Aizkraukle School No 1 sent their protest letter to mass media. reminds that Valmiera Secondary School No 2 was the first school that in May openly opposed the planned transfer of national minority schools to the tuition in the state language. Representatives of Parents Committee of the school had a discussion with the head of the Saeima Commission on Education, Culture and Science Dz.Abikis during which they insisted that with this transition were violated children’s rights stipulated in the Latvian law “On protection of children’s rights” and international convention on children’s rights. But Dz.Abikis thinks that they might cherish their national language and culture in the family, cultural societies and Sunday schools if they wished to organize and establish such. He was sure that local government would support their initiatives. Also parents from Aizkraukle School No 1 sent their protest letter to mass media.