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 Review

Press Review

Moscow expresses a serious concern about the campaign of national radicals aiming to take a revanche for failure in the referendum on amending the Law on Citizenship. It was announced yesterday by Russian MFA official representative V.Rahmanin. He has stressed that, opposite to the will of Latvian people to create an ethnic harmony, demonstrated during the referendum, national radicals had decided to strengthen discrimination in the language law.

Moscow expresses a serious concern about the campaign of national radicals aiming to take a revanche for failure in the referendum on amending the Law on Citizenship. It was announced yesterday by Russian MFA official representative V.Rahmanin. He has stressed that, opposite to the will of Latvian people to create an ethnic harmony, demonstrated during the referendum, national radicals had decided to strengthen discrimination in the language law. Neatkariga, Chas

Jauna Avize and

Jauna Avize and Bizness & Baltiya (14.10.98) add that V.Rahmanin accused Latvia of attempts to exchange integration of Russian speakers for assimilation by using the education system. Press Secretary of Latvian MFA T.Baumanis commented this announcement very briefly, These expressions are so far from the reality that we do not see any sense to make any comments on them at all.

No results were achieved during the discussions of the three major parties -

No results were achieved during the discussions of the three major parties - Latvijas Cels, TB/LNNK and New Party with Peoples Party. The representatives of PP did not answer to the question whether they were ready to participate in a government, led by V.Kristopans but continued push on discussing necessity to agree on the basic principles of forming a government. Rather strange seemed also the results of discussion between Latvijas Cels and Social Democrats. Latvijas Cels continue stating that SD has agreed to participate in the new government without any minister posts, but the leaders of SD J.Adamsons and J.Bojars repeatedly deny such a possibility. State President G.Ulmanis continued his talks with other Saeima member parties - TB/LNNK and Peoples Harmony Party. After these discussions he said that he had to think more seriously about another candidates to the post of the Prime Minister because the current candidates A.Skele and V.Kristopans might not receive the expected support. Neatkariga, Diena, Jauna Avize, Rigas Balss, Chas, SM, Bizness & Baltiya (14.10.98)

On October 9 the USA Congress House of Representatives passed a resolution confirming three very important issues: 1) USA Congress points out to the fact of occupation of the Baltic states, 2) USA Congress calls Russia to condemn the pact of Molotov - Ribentrop and its secret protocols and 3) USA Congress suggests the USA President and the MFA State Secretary to act so let Russia would recognize these facts.

Diena

A member of Consultative Council of the State President M.Briede writes about her proposal to start teaching the Latvian language in kindergarten. Also the representatives of the Council of Europe were positive about its conformity to the international norms. Financing for it could come from UN funds allocated to the Latvian language training program. UN provides 3 million USD for each of the three phases of this program. In the first phase this money was used for adult training. M.Briede suggests to spend the next 3 million for teaching children in national minority kindergartens. Diena

The Saeima Commission on Education, Culture and Science find it senseless to consider the draft language law at this Saeima, and it should be left for the next Saeima. During the last month consideration of this draft law in the final reading was stopped twice. The version of the Saeima Commission on Education, Culture and Science ensured both strengthening of the position of the Latvian language and observing international norms and main OSCE recommendations, but the deputies lacked a constructive approach to adopt it. Upon an initiative of CECS the Saeima could renew consideration of the law, but the Chairman of the Commission Dz.Abikis thinks that it makes no sense. Diena

Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs V.Birkavs feels relieved about the outcome of the referendum and thinks that Latvia has managed to cross a gorge. He explains the consequences if the result were different. V.Birkavs points out the large number of non-citizens living here, causing problems to stability in Latvia. He predicts that Russian campaign against Latvia will continue for some time, but Latvia has to go on forming its state language policy by developing the Latvian language training programs to make the language a part of the social integration instrument. And Europe supports Latvia in this. Diena

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Latvian MFA that starting with October 1, 1998 till the introduction of new visas columns Destination and Route will not be filled in but for foreigners and stateless persons applying for visas these columns will be filled in. Jauna Avize

V.Buhvalov, contemplating about the planned transition to the Latvian language as the language of tuition, states that in Latvia there are no specialists, able to prepare teaching aids for this language. And he is very pessimistic about the results of this hasty implementation, basing his opinion on pedagogical experience.

Diena (Russian version)

N.Lebedeva, journalist of SM writes about the former Head of the OSCE Mission to Latvia Charles Magee. Now he is heading a similar mission in Ukraine. SM

S.Zaletajev in

S.Zaletajev in Panorama Latvii tries to prove that Latvians during the referendum on the amendments to the Law on Citizenship voted not for the adoption of these amendments but for a possibility to join EU and NATO, and the only ones who were for these amendments were Russian speaking voters, especially in Riga and Latgale region. To prove his point he cites the statement made by the representative of TB/LNNK J.Dobelis that regions, where Latvians constituted the majority of population, voted against the amendments. S.Zaletajev doubts that attempts of the Latvian government to establish an integration society are true, and it was done just to satisfy Europe.