• State budget gained 145 millions from the temporary residence permits’ program

According to a study conducted by an international audit and business consulting company “Deloitte”, the total contribution of the temporary residence permits’ program into the state budget since the launch of the program on June 2010 until May 2013 was 145 million lats (207 million euros). The direct contribution into Latvian economy only from investments in the real estate with an aim to receive residence permit was 325 million lats (464 million euros). But the total contribution taking counting purchase of real estate and additional expenses related to residence of investors was 545 million lats (776 million euros). “Deloitte” also counted that the temporary residence permits’ program might bring to Latvia investments in amount of 1,24 billion lats (1,77 billion euros) during five years period. Diena, Vesti Segodnya

 

• Naturalisation rate continues to fall
• Congress of Non-Citizens criticizes Barack Obama’s compliments about democracy in Latvia

 According Vesti Segodnya, the naturalisation rate continues to fall. During this year Latvian citizenship was granted to 1,159 persons who went through the naturalisation procedure. For comparison, Latvian citizenship received 19,169 persons in 2005, but last year 2,213.

During the meeting with the President of Latvia Andris Berzins, the U.S. President Barack Obama stated that Latvia is a strong ally in promoting human rights and democratic values all over the world. Commenting such statement, the Congress of Non-Citizens stated that the U.S.A. overestimates Latvia’s potential in promotion of democracy and human rights. The Congress argued that despite the superficial signs of democracy in Latvia, the access to democracy is limited along ethnic lines and almost 300,000 persons with status of non-citizen in the country; therefore, Latvia should not be characterised as an example of democracy for other countries. As reported, before the meeting with Latvian President, the Congress sent an appeal to Mr Obama asking him to raise issue of large scale non-citizenship in Latvia. Vesti Segodnya

• MP Irina Cvetkova left the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee
• Latvian nationalist Aivars Slucis criticizes the legal provisions on granting residence permits

Vesti Segodnya reports that the MP Irina Cvetkova (Concord Centre) left the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee. Explaining her decision, Mrs Cvetkova says that before joining the Committee she believed that the MPs can change the situation and create the conditions for consolidation of the society. However, after a short while, Mrs Cvetkova says she understood that in reality the politicians of the governing coalition are not interested in the consolidation, because than they will have no issue which they could use for distracting the attention of the society away from more important issues and the ruling politicians are not capable of doing anything else except for shouting "Russians are coming!"; besides, the ruling politicians feel comfortable enough – so why bother solving problems, such as non-citizenship? Mrs Cvetkova mentions two specific reasons, which motivated her to leave the Committee now: first, - one of the high state officials visiting the Committee openly stated that the integration is not priority and instead, consolidation of ethnic Latvians living in Latvia and abroad is the real priority; second – a fellow member of the Committee wrote a complaint about her to the Saeima's Committee on Ethics, accusing her of negative expressions about Waffen SS. 

 

Latvijas Avize once again publishes the paid publication by well known Latvian nationalist living in the U.S.A. Aivars Slucis. This time Mr Slucis criticizes the legal provisions on granting residence permits in Latvia to foreign investors. Aivars Slucis believes that such provisions promote new occupation and Russification of Latvia as Russians buy real estate and move to Latvia with families. Mr Slucis proposes to set more severe requirements for granting residence permits to investors such as at least LVL 500,000 large investment in Latvian economy; insure at least 10 workplaces for Latvian citizens; pay LVL 100,000 for residence permit for time period no longer than five years.

• Preamble to the Constitution of Latvia to be presented next week
• Aleksandrs Gaponenko: Congress of Non-Citizens is not Kremlin’s agent

Vesti Segodnya reports about the draft Preamble to the Constitution of Latvia developed under the guidance of the head of the President’s Commission on Constitutional Law Egils Levits. The aim of the draft Preamble is to determine legally the core of the Constitution and to set irrevocable articles related to the fact that ethnic Latvians are the state nation, Latvian language as the only state language, and the state’s integrity is inseparable. The draft Preamble planned to be presented in the Parliament next week.

According to one of the leaders of the Congress of Non-Citizens Aleksandrs Gaponenko, the Congress has never received money from Russia and cannot be considered as Kremlin’s agent. Mr Gaponenko also confirmed that one representative of the Congress joined the headquarters of the Russian oppositional leader Aleksey Navalniy in order to learn the experience on organising the pre-election campaign and mass actions. Mr Gaponenko also says that the Congress actively works outside of Latvia in order to attract international attention to the problem of non-citizenship. Vesti Segodnya

• The Speaker of the Saeima Solvita Aboltina accuses the Concord Centre of receiving funding and tasks from Russian Embassy
• Political scientist Ilga Kreituse: the society is not divided

The Speaker of the Saeima Solvita Aboltina in an interview with Latvijas Avize stated that the Concord Centre is not interested in the development of Latvia and receives its instructions from the Russian Embassy.  Mrs Aboltina stated that she wants to explain Latvian citizens that every voice given at the elections to the Concord Centre is not just a voice for Russian party but the voice for such force which receives its tasks from Russia. Mrs Aboltina also said “while ethnic Latvian parties are fighting each other, the Concord Centre is consolidating, getting paid and trained by foreign forces, and we can loose our country.” Commenting such statements of the Speaker, the one of the leaders of the Concord Centre, MP Valerijs Agesins stated that he might appeal to the Saeima’s Mandates, Ethics and Submissions Committee and the court asking to evaluate the statements and ask Mrs Aboltina to prove her words by facts. Vesti Segodnya

According to a political scientist Ilga Kreituse, there is no ethnic split in society. Mrs Kreituse says that she works at the university with Russians speakers who speak Latvian language and with ethnic Latvians who are willing to learn Russian and there are no preconditions which could lead to confrontations. Mrs Kreituse believes that the word “split” is used by politicians in order to justify the things they haven’t done. Latvijas Avize