• Changes in the Naturalisation Board
• PR specialist Jurgis Liepnieks: Latvia sent a dangerous geopolitical signal

Latvijas Avize reports that the Head of the Naturalisation Board Ms. Eizenija Aldermane has been elected to the Riga City Council and therefore will leave the Naturalisation Board where she spent almost 15 years. Meanwhile there are also speculations that Naturalisation Board will be merged with Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs. At the Riga City Council, Ms. Aldermane is going to work on education, national minority and human rights issues. Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize discusses election results with Mr. Jurgis Liepnieks, the leading PR person of the Peoples Party. Mr. Liepnieks believes elections sent a dangerous geopolitical signal, alleging that in the future, people with links to Moscow could become a part of Latvias ruling elite. He compares Latvia to a house with developing dry-rot in it. According to Mr. Liepnieks, there is no ethnic conflict between Latvians and Russians in Latvia, yet there is an issue of loyalty towards Latvian statehood, which consists of the state language, ethnic Latvian people, ethnic Latvian environment and preservation of cultural heritage. He argues the government budget cuts are sending Latvia into a downward spiral, leading to poverty, emigration and decline of education, healthcare, social provisions and public security.

• Ambassador of Russia comments on election results
• Latvijas Avize doubts if Russian can become an official language
• Latvijas Avize interviewed Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Ms. Ilze Brands - Kehris

Yesterday, Ambassador of Russia Mr. Alexander Veshnjakov at the interview with BNS expressed hope that election results in Riga will stimulate co-operation between Latvia and Russia. „Voters gave support to moderate political forces. Extreme views are unacceptable for voters in Riga. We are happy that political pragmatism will allow development of relations between our countries: Mr. Alexander Veshnjakov. Chas

The leader of the Concord Centre Mr. Nils Usakovs stated that on social issues, municipal bodies in Riga should provide information also in Russian. The newspaper recalls the opinion of the Ombudsman Mr. Romans Apsitis, who concluded that public bodies dealing with social and integration issues should be permitted to provide information in foreign and minority languages. The Head of the Control Department of the State Language Centre Mr. Antons Kursitis believes that provision of communication in Russian to Russian speaking clients of municipal bodies implies discrimination against those Latvians who dont know Russian language. Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize interviewed Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Ms. Ilze Brands – Kehris on the human rights situation in Latvia, use of Latvian flags and other symbols and on freedom of assembly.

• Analysis of the ethnic vote

Telegraf interviewed experts about apparent decline of the interest of voters towards ethnic issues. Director of the sociological bureau „Latvijas fakti” Mr. Aigars Freimanis says that „Russians started to vote for Latvian parties and Latvians for Russian parties”. According to political scientist Ms. Ilga Kreituse, „in the municipal elections and European Parliament election Latvians were voting for the Concord Centre as a protest vote against the present ruling coalition. (…) The ethnic vote was still important among the voters of the Civic Union.”. Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Ms. Ilze Brands – Kehris believes that „this is a first time, when we see such decline of the ethnic vote. This is a clear progress. Unfortunately, there is also a simultaneous tendency when everyone is voting for their own community. Meanwhile, the latest election results is a very important sigh that non-ethnic vote is possible”.          

Telegraf interviewed experts about apparent decline of the interest of voters towards ethnic issues. Director of the sociological bureau „Latvijas fakti Mr. Aigars Freimanis says that „Russians started to vote for Latvian parties and Latvians for Russian parties. According to political scientist Ms. Ilga Kreituse, „in the municipal elections and European Parliament election Latvians were voting for the Concord Centre as a protest vote against the present ruling coalition. (…) The ethnic vote was still important among the voters of the Civic Union.. Director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Ms. Ilze Brands – Kehris believes that „this is a first time, when we see such decline of the ethnic vote. This is a clear progress. Unfortunately, there is also a simultaneous tendency when everyone is voting for their own community. Meanwhile, the latest election results is a very important sigh that non-ethnic vote is possible.

• Newspapers report election results

Political party „Concord centre” won the elections to the Riga City Council (34,40%). It also took second place in the European Parliament election (19,54%), provisionally securing two MEP seats. Meanwhile, the Concord centre have other, smaller and greater victories in municipalities across all Latvia. Political union „Latvian First party/ Latvian Way”, which also addressed ethnic minority voters in Latvia during election campaign, has also significant number of seats in different municipalities and one MEP seat. Political party „Civic Union” has achieved victory in the European Parliament elections (24,32%), securing two MEP seats, and gained second place in the Riga City (18,82%). Political party “New Era” came fourth in the Riga City Council elections (11,04%) and also secured one seat in the European Parliament. Political party „For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM” and „For Human Rights in United Latvia” gained one seat each in the European Parliament but no seats in the Riga City Council.

Political party „Concord centre won the elections to the Riga City Council (34,40%). It also took second place in the European Parliament election (19,54%), provisionally securing two MEP seats. Meanwhile, the Concord centre have other, smaller and greater victories in municipalities across all Latvia. Political union „Latvian First party/ Latvian Way, which also addressed ethnic minority voters in Latvia during election campaign, has also significant number of seats in different municipalities and one MEP seat. Political party „Civic Union has achieved victory in the European Parliament elections (24,32%), securing two MEP seats, and gained second place in the Riga City (18,82%). Political party New Era came fourth in the Riga City Council elections (11,04%) and also secured one seat in the European Parliament. Political party „For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM and „For Human Rights in United Latvia gained one seat each in the European Parliament but no seats in the Riga City Council. Chas, Vesty Segodnya, Telegraf, Neatkariga, Diena, Latvijas Avize

• Reasons to vote

On the election day,

On the election day, Vesty Segodnya published an article stating the reasons to vote. One of the reasons is that there are many people in Latvia without the right to vote, and therefore those who are entitled should use their right for the sake of those who do not have this right.