• Ex-deputy of Jurmala City Council Janis Kuzins asks the court to declare invalid municipal elections
• President of Latvia holds a meeting with Forest Brothers

Ex-deputy of Jurmala City Council Janis Kuzins (FHRUL) appealed to the Riga Regional Court and the Constitutional Court asking to declare invalid municipal elections. Mr. Kuzins disputes elections on three positions: the fact that Latvian non-citizens are not allowed to participate in the elections; prohibition for citizens of EU-associated countries to take part in the elections; and the fact that elections were held on Saturday – the day when representatives of some religions cannot vote in the elections. Janis Kuzins wants the case to go to the Court of Justice of European Communities or the European Court for Human Rights.

Ex-deputy of Jurmala City Council Janis Kuzins (FHRUL) appealed to the Riga Regional Court and the Constitutional Court asking to declare invalid municipal elections. Mr. Kuzins disputes elections on three positions: the fact that Latvian non-citizens are not allowed to participate in the elections; prohibition for citizens of EU-associated countries to take part in the elections; and the fact that elections were held on Saturday – the day when representatives of some religions cannot vote in the elections. Janis Kuzins wants the case to go to the Court of Justice of European Communities or the European Court for Human Rights. Vesti Segodnya

Today, the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers holds a meeting with national partisans or so-called “Forest Brothers”. The President and national partisans will discuss patriotic education and history teaching in schools. The MP Jakovs Pliners (FHRUL) in an interview with

Today, the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers holds a meeting with national partisans or so-called Forest Brothers. The President and national partisans will discuss patriotic education and history teaching in schools. The MP Jakovs Pliners (FHRUL) in an interview with Vesti Segodnya stated that such meeting puts shame on Latvia because, in his opinion, Forest Brothers were criminals who combined fighting against supporters of soviet authorities with robbery and terror. Vesti Segodnya

• All for Latvia! considers that naturalisation process should be stopped
• Vesti Segodnya reports about a video conference between Moscow and Riga about problems of Russian speaking residents in Latvia and Estonia
• Latvijas Avize reports about a Latvian family struggling to secure the right to Latvian citizenship to their child
• Representatives of the Ministry of Education support option to teach in Russian language in state higher education establishments

According to a member of the nationalistic political party “All for Latvia!”, nationalistic parties in Riga City Council elections suffered a defeat because a large number of recently naturalised citizens voted for parties that are addressing Russian speaking voters. Therefore, member of “All for Latvia!” considers that naturalisation process should be stopped.

According to a member of the nationalistic political party All for Latvia!, nationalistic parties in Riga City Council elections suffered a defeat because a large number of recently naturalised citizens voted for parties that are addressing Russian speaking voters. Therefore, member of All for Latvia! considers that naturalisation process should be stopped. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports about a video conference between Moscow and Riga about problems of Russian speaking residents in Latvia and Estonia held by Russian NGOs from Russia and Latvia. Russias NGOs presented a report on violations of rights of Russian speakers in Latvia and Estonia. According to the report, the main problem of Russian residents in Latvia is mass scale non-citizenship.

Latvijas Avize reports about a Latvian family struggling to secure the right to Latvian citizenship to their child. The parents emigrated from Latvia during Soviet times to Germany. Both received German citizenship, yet kept Latvian citizenship. However the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs refused to register their child as a Latvian citizen because of German citizenship. The family disputes the refusal in the court.

Latvijas Avize reports that representatives of the Ministry of Education support option to teach in Russian language in state higher education establishments, because such option would attract to Latvia students from Russian speaking countries. However, presently, the draft Law on Higher Education Establishment allows teaching only in official EU languages.

• Future of the political party For Human Rights in United Latvia

Telegraf reports that some of the political scientists foresee the end of the political party For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL). The reason of such rumours is failure of the party in the Riga municipal elections. Political scientist Aigars Freimanis believes that FHRUL lacks a bright leader like Nils Usakovs (Concord Centre) or Ainars Slesers (Latvias First Party/Latvias Way.)

• Draft amendments to the Electronic Media Law

Latvijas Avize reports that National Radio and Television Council prepared draft amendments to the Electronic Media Law which significantly reduces mandatory broadcasting time in Latvian for the commercial media. Till now 40% of all broadcasting time had to be in Latvian. If the new amendments are adopted the broadcasting in Latvian will have to be only 30% or even less because authors of the amendments also changed several terms that are included in the law. Also the Electronic Media Law has no reference anymore that covers the role of public media on promotion of Latvian language and culture, meanwhile, the previous aim - to strengthen mono-ethnic country, was changed to promotion of social integration and solidarity.

• Reforms in the Ministry of Education and Science

Vesti Segodnya reports on planned reforms in the Ministry of Education and Science. Six agencies will be reformed and four of those agencies will be liquidated. The newspaper notes that one of the agencies to be liquidated is the State Agency for Quality Assessment of General Education, which also oversaw the transition to teaching mainly in Latvian in schools implementing minority education programmes. In a conversation one year ago, the Head of the Agency Ms. Evija Papule stated she could not share any data that would prove the change of language of instruction in these schools did not harm education quality