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.

• Provisional results of the municipal elections
• Experts talk about ethnic aspects in voting
• Article about political choices of non-Latvians in municipal elections in Riga
• Latvijas Avize reports on cases when recently naturalised persons did not have a possibility to vote
• Russia will discuss the situation in Latvia and Estonia during the session of the UN Commission on Human Rights
• Pickets against the prohibitions for non-citizens to participate in municipal elections take place in Riga and Moscow

Newspapers report on the provisional results of the municipal elections. According to

Newspapers report on the provisional results of the municipal elections. According to Diena, the Peoples Party received the highest number of mandates - 91 mandates out of 312 - in cities and towns, which are the centres of regional districts, and in Jurmala. The number of the mandates, received by other parties are the following: the New Era – 41, regional parties – 35, For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM – 26, united list of the Union of Farmers and Greens – 20, the Latvias Way and the Latvian Social Democratic Labour Party – 17, the Latvian First Party – 16, For Human Rights in the United Latvia – 13. While in Riga at the moment the situation looks the following: New Era will receive 13 mandates out of 60, the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia - 9, the Peoples Party - 8, the union Dzimtene (union of the Latvian Socialist Party and the United Social Democratic Welfare Party) - 8, the Latvian Social Democratic Labour Party - 7, the union For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM - 6, the New Centre –5 and the Latvian First Party - 4. The sociologist Aigars Freimanis believes that ideally the coalition in Riga City Council would be formed of the right-wing parties – the New Era, For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM and the Peoples party, and if necessary - the New Centre. According to Freimanis, the inclusion of the New Centre in the coalition would provide a possibility to address non-Latvian voters. Only 52.85% of people having rights to vote participated in elections last Saturday. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Rigas Balss, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Experts argue that ‘increased activity of Russian-speaking voters, polarisation and stratification of society and constantly growing number of naturalised persons are the main reasons for the success of political parties who claim to represent the interests of Russian-speakers.’ According to the provisional results, support for left wing parties in Riga has increased since the last Saeima’s elections. Today 36.6% of all voters support left-wing parties. The sociologist Arnis Kaktins believes that the results of the municipal elections show deep national cleavages.

Experts argue that ‘increased activity of Russian-speaking voters, polarisation and stratification of society and constantly growing number of naturalised persons are the main reasons for the success of political parties who claim to represent the interests of Russian-speakers. According to the provisional results, support for left wing parties in Riga has increased since the last Saeimas elections. Today 36.6% of all voters support left-wing parties. The sociologist Arnis Kaktins believes that the results of the municipal elections show deep national cleavages. Neatkariga Rita Avize comments on the success of the union Dzimtene (The Motherland) in municipal elections in Riga, which was a big surprise for many experts. Alfreds Rubiks, leader of the Latvian Socialist Party, which is a member of the union Dzimtene, believes that many people voted for the union in the protest to the existing situation. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize

The Latvian daily

The Latvian daily Diena prints an article about political choices of non-Latvians in municipal elections in Riga. The article shows that non-Latvians, interviewed by the newspaper in two polling stations of Riga, chose different parties although almost all of them voted for left-wing parties. Several voters stated that they voted for the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia (FHRUL) because they do not support the implementation of the minority education reform. While a woman stressed that she voted for the Peoples Harmony Party because ‘they do not bring minority students out in the streets to protest against the implementation of the education reform. Several non-Latvians said that they voted for the union Dzimtene. The argument was that ‘in FHRUL there are no normal people any more.

Latvijas Avize, referring to the news agency BNS, reports on cases when recently naturalised persons did not have a possibility to vote because they had not managed to exchange their non-citizen passport for citizen passports.

Russia will discuss the situation in Latvia and Estonia during the session of the UN Commission on Human Rights, which starts today in Geneva. The Head of the Russian delegation Jurij Fedotov stated that respect towards Nazi allies and the attitude of these states towards ethnic minorities are unacceptable for Russia.

Russia will discuss the situation in Latvia and Estonia during the session of the UN Commission on Human Rights, which starts today in Geneva. The Head of the Russian delegation Jurij Fedotov stated that respect towards Nazi allies and the attitude of these states towards ethnic minorities are unacceptable for Russia. Latvijas Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

On Saturday approximately 40 persons participated in a picket, organised by the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia near the Latvian embassy in Russia. According to the representative of the party Aleksejs Ostrovskis, the goal of the picket was to ‘remind the world that 40% of Latvia’s residents were denied the right to vote in municipal elections.’

On Saturday approximately 40 persons participated in a picket, organised by the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia near the Latvian embassy in Russia. According to the representative of the party Aleksejs Ostrovskis, the goal of the picket was to ‘remind the world that 40% of Latvias residents were denied the right to vote in municipal elections. Vesti Segodnya reports that a picket against prohibitions for non-citizens to participate in municipal elections in Riga took place as well. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya