• Draft amendments complicating the procedure of the registration of children of non-citizens as citizens prepared by the Ministry of Justice
• Latvijas Avize: Saeima actively works on the draft law changing the existing order on initiation of national referendums

According to Vesti Segodnya, the Ministry of Justice has prepared draft amendments to the Citizenship Law which will complicate the procedure of the registration of children of non-citizens as citizens of Latvia. The Ministry of Justice proposes to apply the same rules to children of non-citizens as in relation to adult applicants for naturalisation, in particularly, to check whether they endanger national security. According to unofficial information, the Reform Party (previously  Zatlers’ Reform Party) categorically objects to such amendments.

According to Latvijas Avize, Saeima is actively working on the draft law changing the existing procedure on the initiation of national referenda. As reported, the draft law passed in the 2nd reading stipulates that in order to initiate a referendum, its initiators should gather 150,000 signatures of the eligible voters (at present, 10,000 signatures gathered by the initiators are required). The governing coalition parties would like to approve the draft law as soon as possible; however, opposition parties have submitted numerous proposals for the draft law. The Saeima Legal Office does not support such amendments as the increase in the number of required signatures would significantly complicate the enjoyment of citizens’ rights set in the Constitution. In the meantime, the organisation “For Equal Rights” continues the collection of signatures in support of the draft amendments granting all non-citizens Latvian citizenship. Thus far, it has collected about 4,000 signatures and the initiators hope to collect the required number by September.

• MP Boriss Cilevics: nationalists want to introduce the principle “ethnic Latvian is always right”

The MP Boriss Cilevics (Concord Centre) criticizes the draft amendments to the Labour Law forbidding the employers to demand potential employees for foreign language proficiency unless those are necessary for work duties. Mr Cilevics believes that instead of the principle “costumer is always right” the authors of the draft amendments want to introduce the principle “ethnic Latvian is always right” no matter whether ethnic Latvian is a costumer or, for instance, a waiter. Well known Latvian journalist Karlis Streips also stated that sometimes domination of Latvian language is pushed to an absurd extreme, especially what concerns provision of information for tourists. Chas

• Saeima in the second reading supported the draft amendments forbidding the employers to indicate requirements for foreign language proficiency in job announcements
• Vesti Segodnya reports about a discussion “Language – Instrument of Integration or Stumbling Rock?”

Yesterday, the Saeima in the second reading supported the draft amendments to the Labour Law forbidding the employers to indicate requirements for foreign language proficiency in job announcements unless those are obligatory required for fulfilment of work duties.After long debates, the Saeima did not support the proposal to attribute the prohibition also to labour agreements. According to the authors of the draft amendments, the aim is to stop linguistic discrimination of potential employees who are not proficient in Russian language because often the employers unreasonably ask for foreign languages, especially, Russian. Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga, Chas

Vesti Segodnya reports about a discussion “Language – Instrument of Integration or Stumbling Rock?” organised by the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art in the framework of a project funded by European Integration Fund for Third-country nationals. Participants – linguists, politicians and representatives of mass media and non-EU citizens residing in Latvia - discussed the role of language as national and state identity factor. 

• Chas prints an interview with the President of Latvia Andris Berzins
• President Andris Berzins met with representatives of various Latvian WWII veterans’ organisations

Chas prints an interview with the President of Latvia Andris Berzins. The President states he will do everything in order to unite the split society because the state’s future can be only common for all residents. The President believes it was possible to establish Latvia as independent state in 1918 because representatives of various nations were able to find common language and to see the issues which united them. The President believes that same issues are topical nowadays because if Latvian residents do not unite they will disappear in the big world.

Latvijas Avize reports about a meeting of the President Andris Berzins with representatives of various Latvian WWII veterans’ organisations – those veterans who fought in the Red Army and in the German army. The aim of the meeting was to continue the initiative of the Good Will Manifesto promoting consolidation of the society and further to gather WWII veterans together in commemoration event in Riga fraternal cemetery on 8 May. According to the President, the conversation with the veterans was conducted in a very humane atmosphere and it was only the beginning and conversations will continue.

• Minister of Interior Rihards Kozlovskis: agitation activities for the referendum on the status of Russian language were anticonstitutional
• About 3,000 signatures collected for support of a draft law on granting Latvian citizenship to all non-citizens

According to the Minister of Interior Rihards Kozlovskis, the activities on promotion of the referendum on the status of Russian language in Latvia were funded by various NGOs and private persons. Mr Kozlovskis believes that such practice contradicts Latvian Constitution because endangers the state security. However, Mr Kozlovskis admits it is impossible to punish for such actions because the legal acts do not regulate referendum agitation activities. Chas

A movement “For Equal Rights” collected about 3,000 signatures for support of a draft law on granting Latvian citizenship to all non-citizens. In total, during the first stage, it is required to collect 10,000 signatures in order to initiate state funded collection of signatures. Chas