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.

• Unity nominated Sarmite Elerte as its candidate to the post of the Mayor of Riga
• Nationalists’ union demands to limit access to the naturalisation procedure
• “For Equal Rights” appealed the decision of the Central Election Committee on non-citizens referendum

The Unity nominated Sarmite Elerte as its candidate to the post of the Mayor of Riga at the up-coming municipal elections. Mrs Elerte is the former Minister of Culture who supervised the elaboration of a society integration program which received highly critical evaluation by society and experts. According to Mrs Elerte, her main task on the post of the Mayor of Riga will be “to return Riga back to Latvia”. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga

The nationalists’ union All for Latvia!-FF-LNIM demands to limit access to the naturalisation procedure and threatens that otherwise the union will not to support the adoption of the new version of the Citizenship Law. The nationalists’ union wants to narrow the circle of persons who have the right to easier naturalisation procedure. Thus, only those graduates of ethnic monitory schools who passed the state language examination at school at the level A, B and C should be exempt for language test for naturalisation (at present also level D is accepted). Also the nationalists propose to increase from 5 up to 10 years the minimum term of permanent residency in Latvia required for naturalisation. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Leaders of the movement “For Equal Rights” appealed the decision of the Central Election Committee (CEC) which hindered the referendum initiation procedure for support of granting Latvian citizenship to non-citizens. The movement asks the court to abolish the CEC decision and to oblige it to conduct the second stage of referendum – state funded collection of signatures for the initiative. Chas, Vesti Segodnya