• Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis: the government has to engage in dialogue with its entire people

Chas prints extensive interview with the Prime Minister of Latvia Valdis Dombrovskis, mostly about the general situation in the country and the efforts of the government regarding economic crisis. According to Mr.Dombrovskis, the government now gradually restructures its work, moving away from a crisis management to ensure stable and long-term development. Regarding the recent referendum on the status of Russian language, Mr.Dombrovskis believes that a problem cannot be solved by labelling those who supported Russian as betrayers, the fifths column or the hand of Moscow. The government has to engage in dialogue with its entire people and currently there are 148 proposals from different ministries. In particular, Mr.Dombrovskis highlights development of single information space, conducting explanatory work about the fundamentals of the Latvian state and searching for funding for Latvian language learning for representatives of national minorities.

• Lindermans: Results of the referendum show the demand for Russian language among the citizenry
• Former head the State Language Centre argues to improve the quality of the citizenry and revoke citizenship of disloyal persons

According to the leader of the society “Native Language” Vladimirs Lindermans, one of the main results of the referendum is that it demonstrated the demand for Russian language among the citizenry. Mr.Lindermans believes these results will change language policy in Latvia, especially at the local level, and cites the example of Daugavpils, where 85% of citizens voted for Russian, yet the city authorities provide official communication to its citizens only in Latvian. Mr.Lindermans also believes these results will bring changes at the national level, and although the radical nationalists still push for liquidation of education in minority languages starting from the kindergartens, the government now develops special development programme for Latgale, where 55% of citizens voted for Russian language. He proposes a 5-year moratorium on the activities of the language inspections, which regularly impose fines for unsatisfactory language usage and easily destroy small businesses, and to use this time to provide Latvian language learning for all to the necessary level. Mr.Linderman also announced plans to establish new political party on the basis of the society “Native Language” and participate in the upcoming municipal elections.

According to the leader of the society Native Language Vladimirs Lindermans, one of the main results of the referendum is that it demonstrated the demand for Russian language among the citizenry. Mr.Lindermans believes these results will change language policy in Latvia, especially at the local level, and cites the example of Daugavpils, where 85% of citizens voted for Russian, yet the city authorities provide official communication to its citizens only in Latvian. Mr.Lindermans also believes these results will bring changes at the national level, and although the radical nationalists still push for liquidation of education in minority languages starting from the kindergartens, the government now develops special development programme for Latgale, where 55% of citizens voted for Russian language. He proposes a 5-year moratorium on the activities of the language inspections, which regularly impose fines for unsatisfactory language usage and easily destroy small businesses, and to use this time to provide Latvian language learning for all to the necessary level. Mr.Linderman also announced plans to establish new political party on the basis of the society Native Language and participate in the upcoming municipal elections. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

In an article published in

In an article published in Latvijas Avize, former head the State Language Centre Dzintra Hirsa argues for revocation of Latvian citizenship of those persons, who have shown through their words or their deeds that they are not loyal to the state. Mrs.Hirsa does not offer a definition of loyalty or a mechanism to measure loyalty. Mrs.Hirsa argues that the referendum on the status of Russian language was an attempt to undermine Latvian state, and the time has come to use all political legal opportunities to improve the quality of the citizenry, including through revocation of citizenship.

• Latvijas Avize writes about the new Social Memory Research Centre
• Legal Affairs Committee supports the proposal to deny state support for collection of the 10% of the voters signatures required for referendum

Latvijas Avize writes about the new Social Memory Research Centre (SMRC) being developed under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and the University of Latvia. The Centre is developed in order to systematically analyse Latvias history, research and model Latvian social memory policy at the local, national and international levels, and to permanently evaluate the effectiveness of this policy. According to the article, it is not clear, what specifically the new institution will do, because numerous already existing institutions are doing much of the work potentially relevant to the SMRC. The author questions whether the SMRC will bring benefit to the society or to the social researchers employed at the SMRC.

Yesterday, the Saeima’s Legal Affairs Committee supported amendments limiting referendum opportunities, proposed by the “Unity” following the referendum on the status of the Russian language. The proposal denies state support for the collection of the required 10% of the voters’ signatures. Supporters of the proposal argued that the proposal will help save state funding and that the present referendum procedure is archaic and does not correspond to the modern democracy criteria.

Yesterday, the Saeimas Legal Affairs Committee supported amendments limiting referendum opportunities, proposed by the Unity following the referendum on the status of the Russian language. The proposal denies state support for the collection of the required 10% of the voters signatures. Supporters of the proposal argued that the proposal will help save state funding and that the present referendum procedure is archaic and does not correspond to the modern democracy criteria. NRA commentary points out that recently the ruling parties decided to grant annual state support to parties for every vote received at elections, now the same parties limit opportunities of the society to express its opinion through legal and peaceful means; NRA commentary also raises the concern that this proposal would make referendum a privilege of the few rich and powerful while public frustration with the government would be expressed through revolts and pogroms. Chas, NRA

• Discussions on the establishment of the Parliamentary Sub-committee on Livonians, Suits and Latgalians
• The display of Childhood in captivity: the fate of children, stolen to Latvia in 1943-1944 exhibition is postponed

Latvijas Avize reports that two MPs, representatives of Livonian (Davis Stalts) and Latgalian (Juris Vilums) minorities intend to establish a Parliamentary Sub-committee on Livonians, Suits and Latgalians – regional minority groups native to Latvia. Initiators hope the sub-committee will help preservation of these minority groups, their identity and languages, as well as realisation of their interests in the state policies. At the ruling coalition council meeting, the Unity objected to the proposal. The sub-committee is to be established under the parliamentary Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee.

Russian newspapers report that the display in Latvia of the exhibition “Childhood in captivity: the fate of children, stolen to Latvia in 1943-1944” is postponed due to alleged administrative pressure exerted on partner organisations in Latvia. The exhibition includes documents and witness accounts and is devoted to the fate of people, involuntarily brought by the Nazis to Latvia as children from Russian and Byelorussian villages burned down by the Nazis during the World War II. Previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia has strongly condemned the exhibition as falsification of history and propaganda.

Russian newspapers report that the display in Latvia of the exhibition Childhood in captivity: the fate of children, stolen to Latvia in 1943-1944 is postponed due to alleged administrative pressure exerted on partner organisations in Latvia. The exhibition includes documents and witness accounts and is devoted to the fate of people, involuntarily brought by the Nazis to Latvia as children from Russian and Byelorussian villages burned down by the Nazis during the World War II. Previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia has strongly condemned the exhibition as falsification of history and propaganda. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

• Latvian non-citizens are unable to travel to the United Arab Emirates
• Roundtable: 22% of the victims of Stalinist repressions in Latvia were ethnic Russians

Vesti Segodnya reports that Latvian non-citizens are unable to travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because the country does not recognize their passport as valid document. Until the 1 December 2011, the non-citizens were able to travel to the UAE with valid visa. The newspaper blames the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for not reminding the UAE that non-citizens are not stateless persons and have the special status.

On 25 March Latvia commemorates the victims of Stalinist repressions. A commemoration ceremony has taken place at the Freedom Monument in the centre of Riga. Participants of a roundtable on 23 March discussed the impact of Stalinist repressions during 1940-50s on Russian minority in Latvia. According to historical data, 22% of the victims of Stalinist repressions in 1941 in Latvia were ethnic Russians. Historian Tatjana Feigmane stated that in Latvia the Stalinist regime did not differentiate its victims on the ground of ethnicity.

On 25 March Latvia commemorates the victims of Stalinist repressions. A commemoration ceremony has taken place at the Freedom Monument in the centre of Riga. Participants of a roundtable on 23 March discussed the impact of Stalinist repressions during 1940-50s on Russian minority in Latvia. According to historical data, 22% of the victims of Stalinist repressions in 1941 in Latvia were ethnic Russians. Historian Tatjana Feigmane stated that in Latvia the Stalinist regime did not differentiate its victims on the ground of ethnicity. Chas