• Old Believers are dissatisfied with the answer of the Speaker of the Saeima Solvita Aboltina  

The leaders of the Russian Old Believers communities are dissatisfied with the answer of the Speaker of the Saeima Solvita Aboltina. As reported, the leaders of the Old Believers send an appeal letter to the Speaker expressing their anxiety about the legal status of Russian language and the general situation in the country following the language referendum. According to the leader of Rezekne Old Believers parish MP Vladimirs Nikonovs, the Speaker’s answer simply recounts existing legislation, while the Old Believers are anxious about the fact that this legislation declares their language as “foreign”. According to Mr. Nikonovs, during the last three centuries the Old Believers have experienced physical and legal persecution, yet they outlived the authors of these injustices. Mr. Nikonovs hopes for the common sense and for the slogan of integration of society to finally be realised. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

• “In Russian Riga” historical guidebook presented

Within the framework of the Days of Russian Culture a historical guidebook “In Russian Riga” was presented. The book is devoted to the footprints of historical presence of Russian population of Riga and their contribution to the economy and culture of the city. Aleksandrs Gurins, PhD Hist., the author of the book, emphasised that the information he collected vastly exceed the size of any guidebook. Chas

• 4,900 signatures collected in support of granting Latvian citizenship to non-citizens

Vesti Segodnya reports that initiators of the collection of signatures in support of granting Latvian citizenship to all Latvian non-citizens collected 4,900 signatures. The initiators assert that every 10th person who signs for the initiative is ethnic Latvian. It is required to collect at least 10,000 signatures of Latvian citizens in order to initiate state funded collection of signatures.

• Diena: draft amendments to the Citizenship Law stuck in the Saeima’s Legal Committee
• Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee met with activists of Russian NGOs

On 29 May, the government supported the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law and forwarded those to the Legal Committee. However, members of the Committee could not come to a common agreement on many proposals. Thus, most probably the draft amendments will not be forwarded to the final revision in the Saeima in the near future. As reported, the Citizenship Law got opened for the amendments since more than 13 years with the main aim to cancel restrictions for dual citizenship and to ease the procedure on granting Latvian citizenship to children of Latvian non-citizens born in Latvia after the restoration of the independence in 1991. Diena

Yesterday, the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee met with activists of Russian NGOs in Latvia for the first time. The NGOs’ activists informed the members of the Committee about their activities and vision on how to consolidate the society. Vesti Segodnya, Chas

• Government granted LVL 203,500 for implementation of the society consolidation action plan
• Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs: naturalisation procedure is simple
• State Language Agency prepares Latvian language learning TV-lessons for children

The government granted LVL 203,500 for implementation of the action plan on consolidation of the society, strengthening of national identity and state language positions in 2012. According the working group which elaborated the proposals for the program and the Prime Minister’s advisor on integration issues Sarmite Elerte, the action plan needs at least LVL 700,000 more. According to Mrs Elerte, the main directions of activities which have to be implemented are: intensive Latvian language courses for Latgale region and for Latvian children living abroad; strengthening of ethnic minorities NGOs capacity; and explanation of Latvian history, constitutional basis and essence of national state’s political system in minority and Latvian language schools. Latvijas Avize, Diena, Vesti Segodnya

The Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs (Concord Centre) believes that the naturalisation procedure is simple, but at the same time it is not quite just. But no matter what is the procedure, Mr Usakovs believes that non-citizens should naturalise because without Latvian citizenship and voting rights they can only complaint about the unjust situation. Vesti Segodnya

The State Language Agency in co-operation with TV company “LNT” prepares Latvian language learning TV-lessons for children and their families. It is envisaged that the series will be based on popular local Russian speaking muppet show character “Tofik” originally developed for children by an artist in Riga several years ago. The broadcasts will start in June on a mostly Russian language TV channel “TV5”. Chas