• The Union of Greens and Farmers gathered support of 34 MPs in order to initiate referendum on amendments to referendum legislation
• US State Department report on religious freedom cites expressions of Anti-Semitism in Latvia 

The Union of Greens and Farmers gathered the support of 34 MPs in order to initiate referendum on recently adopted referendum legislation amendments. Concord Centre MPs supported the initiative. As reported, the amendments maintain the existing two stage procedure on initiation of referendum until 2015, increasing to 50,000 the number of signatures to be collected at the initiators’ own expense (five-fold increase from the currently required 10,000 signatures); starting with 2015, a single-stage signature collection procedure, requiring for 150,000 signatures to be collected at the initiators’ own expense (15-fold increase from the currently required 10,000 signatures). Now, according to legislation currently in force, the President of the Republic of Latvia has to suspend the amendments, while the Central Election Commission has to start collecting signatures of 1/10 of the voters in order to hold a referendum about the amendments. NRA, Vesti Segodnya 

U.S. Department of State issued its annual report on international religious freedom for 2011. Country report on Latvia recognises that Latvian legislation protects the right to the freedom of religion and in general, the government respects religious freedom. However, the report also points out that some sections of society hold Anti-Semitic beliefs and cites cases of desecration of Jewish cemeteries and the desecration of the grave of the saviour of Jews Zanis/Janis Lipke. Chas

• The Union of Greens and Farmers decided to gather support of 34 MPs to halt referendum legislation amendments
• MP Boriss Cilevics: Latvia did not fulfil the recommendations on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities 

The Union of Greens and Farmers (UGF) decided to seek support of 34 MPs in order to initiate referendum on recently adopted referendum legislation amendments. UGF believes the amendments envisage too high threshold for the number of signatures to be collected at the initiators’ own expense. If 34 MPs will support the initiative of UGF, the President would have to suspend the amendments and the Central Election Commission would have to start collecting 150,000 signatures of citizens in order to hold a referendum about the amendments. Chas, Diena, Latvijas Avize, NRA, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya 

Telegraf interviews MP Boriss Cilevics about Latvia’s second report on the implementation of the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM). According to Mr. Cilevics, since publication of the first report, Latvia did not fulfil the recommendations on the implementation of FCNM. On some accounts, the situation has not changed, such as Latvianisation of minority names and the right to use minority languages in areas populated by minorities historically. According to Mr. Cilevics, on some accounts the situation has deteriorated: Latvia was criticized for unjustified high state language requirements in employment, yet since the last report the list of language requirements was greatly extended and the level of required language proficiency was raised as well.

• Newspapers continue to discuss the President’s initiative on integration of society through reconciliation between the veterans of the two sides of the WWII
• “For Native Language” registers political party and protests against bank’s refusal to open bank account 

Newspapers continue to discuss the President’s initiative on the integration of society through the reconciliation between the veterans of the two sides of the WWII. According to article in Latvijas Avize, not the war, but ideology is at the basis of the divisions: those who fought under the red banner have betrayed Latvia, while those who fought under a different foreign banner have hoped and believed that Latvia will be free again. Very few veterans remain alive today, and they should not be burdened with responsibility over the issues, which they cannot resolve. Vesti Segodnya alleges that the President’s letter to the veterans is based on the view of historic events endorsed by the veterans of the Latvian Waffen SS Legion, while the veterans of the 130th Latvian Riflemen Corpse are offered to subscribe to this view. Vesti Segodnya also argues that current issues (minority schools, the status of language, non-citizens) need more attention, while “Stalin and Molotov can wait”; however, the politicians see it more convenient to discuss and condemn Stalin, instead of solving real issues.  

Leaders of the newly established political party “For Native Language” sent a letter to the head office of the Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) in Stockholm, regarding the decision of the SEB subsidiary bank in Latvia to deny bank account services to the party. The party leaders decided to raise the issue once they learned that Latvian SEB provides bank account services to the radical nationalist union “All for Latvia! / For Fatherland and Freedom - Latvian National Independence Movement”, therefore, they allege the bank is not politically neutral and the bank’s decision was discriminatory. The letter requests SEB to explain its policies. As reported, the movement “For Native Language” initiated a referendum on Russian as a state language in Latvia, held in February 2012. The political party was established on the basis of the movement and was officially registered in July 2012. NRA

• President of Latvia Andris Berzins called the MPs to elaborate a law on the status of WWII participants

The President of Latvia Andris Berzins met with the members of the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee with an aim to call the MPs to elaborate a law on the status of WWII participants. The President stated it is important to find concord between those war veterans who fought for the Red Army and on the opposite side. According to the President, such reconciliation would deprive the ground to those politicians, who incite disagreements in the society by using the WWII as one of the elements of their rhetoric. The President stated that if Latvia wants to live in secure and tolerant society there is no other way but to find a common denominator with a view to the future. As reported, the President Berzins took initiative on consolidation of the society trough meeting with the participants of WWII and discussing with them issues of reconciliation. Chas, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

• MPs came to an agreement about dual citizenship

The Saeima’s Legal Committee’s sub-committee on elaboration of draft amendments to the Citizenship law came to an agreement about granting and preserving dual citizenship for Latvian citizens living abroad, Latvian exiles and their descendants, and granting of Latvian citizenship to ethnic Latvians and Livs permanently residing abroad. The MPs agreed that Latvian citizens who received citizenship of the countries members of the EU, the European Free Trade Association, or the NATO will be able to preserve Latvian citizenship. The dual citizenship will be allowed also with countries which have agreement with Latvia about recognition of dual citizenship. Also it will be possible to have dual citizenship for persons who received citizenship of not mentioned above countries by special permission of the Cabinet of Ministers. The MPs also agreed that Latvian citizenship can be granted to Latvian exiles and their descendants who left Latvia as refugees or got deported during the Soviet and Nazi occupation and did not return to Latvia for permanent residence. The subcommittee continues to work on other proposals for the Citizenship Law. Chas, Neatkariga