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.

• The Ministry of Justice believes the draft law on granting Latvian citizenship to non-citizens cannot be forwarded for the national referendum
• Saeima’s subcommittee on national education recommends to dismiss Mr Rafalskis
• Vesti Segodnya reports about a complaint on Latvianisation of a Norwegian surname
• Riga City Council approved the Society Consolidation Program of Riga City

The Ministry of Justice believes the draft law on granting Latvian citizenship to non-citizens contradicts the Constitution of Latvia and it cannot be forwarded for the national referendum. As reported, the Central Election Committee (CEC) received the required amount of signatures for this draft law and forwarded the draft to lawyers and legal institutions for legal evaluation. According to a representative of the Ministry of Justice, granting citizenship automatically does not correspond with the legal system in Latvia where the basic principle of granting citizenship is applicants’ loyalty towards the state. Newspaper Vesti Segodnya notes the CEC never before asked for evaluation of the draft law for referendum and if it refuses to initiate the second stage of referendum it will be the first precedent in Latvian history.

Yesterday, the Saeima’s subcommittee on national education discussed the case of a teacher of Russian language school Vladislavs Rafalskis who publicly stated his disloyalty towards Latvian state. The MPs concluded that Mr Rafalskis should be dismissed because it is inadmissible for persons with such views to work as a teacher. However, only the director of the school can take the decision about dismissal of the teacher. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga

Vesti Segodnya reports about a complaint on Latvianisation of a Norwegian surname. A Latvian citizen who got married with a Norwegian citizen and took husband’s surname refuse to change her old passport because does not want her new surname to be Latvianised loosing the correct spelling of the original surname. The expert of the State Language Agency considers that the Norwegian surname “Soiland” should be written in Latvian version as “Seilanne.” Mrs Soiland believes such modification of her surname will cause many legal problems. According to a head of an organisation “Return our Names” working against Latvianisation of names Ruslan Pankratov, there are more and more cases when Latvians married with foreign citizens do not agree with modification of their surnames according to Latvian language. Mr Pankratov states that such modifications usually cause problems in official contacts such as when dealing with banks, inheritance, buying or selling real estate.

The Riga City Council approved the Society Consolidation Program of Riga City for 2012-2017 and action plan for 2012-2014. Both documents are aimed at promotion of society consolidation and establishment of a strong sense of belonging to Riga. Latvijas Avize