• Telegraf prints an article on a proposal to grant Latvian non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections

Telegraf prints an article by the co-chairman of the Union of Citizens and Non-citizens Vladimirs Sokolovs on a proposal to grant Latvian non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections. According to Mr. Sokolovs, the fact that non-citizens are deprived of any political rights might be considered as direct discrimination on ethnic grounds because 99,5 % of non-citizens in Latvia are non-Latvians. Vladimirs Soklovs also claims that the majority of governing coalitions parties will not support the proposal because they are afraid to fail at elections due to a possibility that majority of non-citizens would not vote them.

• Security Police has initiated 11 cases on incitement to racial and ethnic hatred in the first half of 2007

Chas reports that the Security Police has initiated 11 cases on incitement to racial and ethnic hatred in the first half of 2007. According to a representative of the Security Police, 5 cases were forwarded to the Prosecutors Office; 3 cases were re-qualified and forwarded to the State Police; one case was closed; and 2 cases are under investigation.

• Head of the Naturalisation Board Eizenija Aldermane has visited Estonia with an aim to get acquainted with celebration of the Day of Citizen

Latvijas Avize reports that the Head of the Naturalisation Board Eizenija Aldermane has visited Estonia with an aim to get acquainted with celebration of the Day of Citizen in the country. As reported, Eizenija Aldermane has proposed to establish the Day of Citizen in Latvia with an aim to raise patriotism and prestige of Latvian citizenship.

• FHRUL called upon the government and the Prime Minister of Latvia Aigars Kalvitis to reject a proposal to merge the Naturalisation Bard and the State Language Centre into one institution
• Chas features an interview with the MP, head of the Sub-Committee on Rights of Minorities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Boriss Cilevics
• Ministry of Welfare has prepared a draft law which stipulates cancelling of working permits in Latvia for a part guest workers

The Saeima’s faction For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL) called upon the government and the Prime Minister of Latvia Aigars Kalvitis to reject a proposal of the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins to merge the Naturalisation Bard and the State Language Centre into one institution. The FHRUL considers that such initiative would hinder naturalisation even more. The FHRUL also has asked the Prime Minister to withdraw the Naturalisation Board from subordination of the Ministry of Justice and to put it under subordination of the Ministry of Interior.

The Saeimas faction For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL) called upon the government and the Prime Minister of Latvia Aigars Kalvitis to reject a proposal of the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins to merge the Naturalisation Bard and the State Language Centre into one institution. The FHRUL considers that such initiative would hinder naturalisation even more. The FHRUL also has asked the Prime Minister to withdraw the Naturalisation Board from subordination of the Ministry of Justice and to put it under subordination of the Ministry of Interior. Chas

Chas features an interview with the MP, head of the Sub-Committee on Rights of Minorities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Boriss Cilevics (the Concord Centre). According to Mr. Cilevics, making the Citizenship Law more liberal, for instance, granting Latvian citizenship to all persons who were born in Latvia is the only way to increase naturalisation rate. Boriss Cilevics also considers that Latvia is multicultural country rather than two-community country as some political forces declare.

The Ministry of Welfare has prepared a draft law which stipulates cancellation of work permits in Latvia for guest workers who have already received work permits in other EU member states.

The Ministry of Welfare has prepared a draft law which stipulates cancellation of work permits in Latvia for guest workers who have already received work permits in other EU member states. Telegraf

• Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins informed about the plans to restructure and merge the Naturalisation Board with the State Language Centre
• Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration is planning to launch in the end of August discussions on new national integration conception for the time period 2008-2018
• Ministry of Justice prepared draft amendments to the Administrative Violations Code stipulating new fines for insufficient usage of state language

Yesterday, the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins (For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM) informed about plans to restructure and merge the Naturalisation Board (NB) with the State Language Centre (SLC). According to Gaidis Berzins, merging of two institutions is necessary due to the decreasing speed of naturalisation and increasing activities of the SLC. Therefore, the Minister believed that formation of one strong establishment would improve capacity of both institutions.  New institution might be named the Board of State Language and Citizenship Affairs and might launch its work in 2009. However, in an interview with

Yesterday, the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins (For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM) informed about plans to restructure and merge the Naturalisation Board (NB) with the State Language Centre (SLC). According to Gaidis Berzins, merging of two institutions is necessary due to the decreasing speed of naturalisation and increasing activities of the SLC. Therefore, the Minister believed that formation of one strong establishment would improve capacity of both institutions. New institution might be named the Board of State Language and Citizenship Affairs and might launch its work in 2009. However, in an interview with Vesti Segodnya, the MP Janis Urbanovics (the Concord Centre) has stated that merging of the NB and the SLC would hinder the naturalisation process. Vesti Segodnya

The Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration in the end of August is planning to launch discussions on new national integration concept for the time period 2008-2018.

The Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration in the end of August is planning to launch discussions on new national integration concept for the time period 2008-2018. Chas prints an opinion of the MPs Jakovs Pliners and Valerijs Buhvalovs (For Human Rights in United Latvia) on what must be included into the draft concept. According to the MPs, establishment of civil society has to be the core aim of the concept. The MPs consider that in order to establish trust within Latvian society, the following measures have to be implemented: grant non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections; establish consultative councils of NGOs which would be involved in governmental and municipal decision making; consultations with representatives of oppositional political parties.

Telegraf reports that the Ministry of Justice prepared draft amendments to the Administrative Violations Code stipulating new fines for insufficient usage of state language.