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.

• Straume: Lend a hand to the Concord Centre!

 

Diena interviewed one of the former leaders of the radical nationalist party "For Fatherland and Freedom / Latvian National Independence Movement" Janis Straume. Mr.Straume believes the results of municipal elections in Riga are very good for the integration of society: the common list of "Honour to Serve Riga" and "Concord Centre" included both ethnic Latvian and ethnic Russian candidates and they got elected as part of the same list. This is despite the fact that previously in other election lists, candidates of the "wrong" ethnic identity would often be stricken-off by the voters, as Latvian election system envisages voting for candidate lists and allows the voters to strike-off undesirable candidates. Mr.Straume believes that the Concord Centre (a party mainly supported by ethnic minorities) has been deceived several times and now ethnic Latvians should "lend a hand" to the Concord Centre. He highlights that parties are not homogenous and include both modern, pragmatic people on one hand, as well as "people who bring automatic rifles to the kindergartens and fight at the Freedom Monument" on the other. Mr.Straume believes that Latvian security services were interested to distract attention of the society away from economic problems and therefore allowed Vladimirs Lindermans to organise referendum on the status of Russian language in February 2012. Diena (05.08.2013), Latvijas Avize, NRA, Vesti-Segodnya