• Vesti Segodnya reports about a survey of the views of ethnic Latvians and non-Latvians on Latvia’s development
• 10,000 signatures are collected for support of demolition of the Monument to the Liberators of Riga from Nazi Invaders
• MP Dzintars Rasnacs: aim of the Preamble to the Constitution is to unite the Latvian nation

According to a public survey “Latvian barometer DNB”, ethnic Latvians would like to see Latvia as prosperous and wealthy, green and ecologically clean state. Ethnic non-Latvians, in their turn, want to see social equality, sufficient support to poor and socially insecure people in Latvia. Ethnic Latvians more frequently said they want to Latvia to have strong ethnic Latvian identity. For ethnic non-Latvians it is more important that Latvia is multicultural state. Vesti Segodnya

10,000 signatures are collected for support of demolition of the Monument to the Liberators of Riga from Nazi Invaders. The signatures are collected through the social initiatives internet platform manabalss.lv Thus, this initiative now might be forwarded for revision to the Saeima. Vesti Segodnya notes that such provocative initiative most likely will not go further, because the installation and demolition of monuments is managed not by the Saeima but by the municipality and also this Monument is protected by an agreement between Latvia and Russia about protection of monument and war burials. The Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs also criticized such initiative arguing that it will provoke ethnic tensions in the society. 

The MP Dzintars Rasnacs (the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM) in an interview with Latvijas Avize states that the aim of the draft Preamble to the Constitution of Latvia is to unite the Latvian nation, to unite the state nation (ethnic Latvians) and ethnic minorities who understand that both groups constitute Latvian nation, body of citizens. According to Mr Rasnacs, those who criticize the draft Preamble are radically minded persons resisting other values.

• Discussion “Preschools education in Latvian language only. Needless, too early or the last moment?” held in Riga
• Latvian Human Rights Committee presented “The List of Differences in Rights of Citizens and Non-citizens”

Latvijas Avize reports about a discussion “Preschools education in Latvian language only. Needless, too early or the last moment?” organised by internet portal “politika.lv” The Minister of Education and Science Vjaceslavs Dombrovskis, representative of the nationalists’ union, head of the Saeima’s Education committee Ina Druviete, and other experts took part in the discussion. Participants of the discussion negotiated about the proposal of the nationalists’ union “All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM” to transfer education in all state funded kindergartens into Latvian language only.  The majority of the participants criticized such proposal but stressed that it is important to increase the number of hours of Latvian language learning. The Minister Dombrovskis did not support the proposal referring to scientific point of view that until the age of 12 it is better for children to study in their native language. The Minister also stated that transition of education into Latvian language most likely would increase ethnic tensions in the society. Researcher of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Sigita Zankovska-Odiņa stated that the language reform of minority secondary schools in 2004 radicalised the society. Mrs Zankovska-Odina also stressed that the closure of Russian language kindergartens would be a violation of the Framework Convention for Protection of National Minorities.

Vesti Segodnya reports about presentation of a second research by the Latvian Human Rights Committee “The List of Differences in Rights of Citizens and Non-citizens” presented on 15 October in Riga. According of a representative of the Committee Natalja Jolkina, the list of differences is transforming constantly – some differences get cancelled, some expire, but instead of the old ones are added new ones. During last three years four differences got cancelled, while, five new got added. In total since 1991, when part of Latvian residents were granted status of non-citizens, 60 differences got cancelled, however, 80 differences still exist today.

• Ex-MP, lawyer Juris Sokolovskis: Egils Levits with his ideas of the Preamble to the Constitution of Latvia is like an inventor of atomic bomb
• Latvijas Avize reports about a news story on a Swedish Radio telling about the draft Preamble to the Constitution of Latvia
• Concord Centre remains the most popular political party in Latvia

 

Vesti Segodnya publishes opinion of ex-MP, lawyer Juris Sokolovskis regarding the ideas for the draft Preamble to the Constitution proposed by the Head of the President’s Commission on Constitutional Law Egils Levits. According to Mr Sokolovskis, Mr Levits ignores that his elaborated Preamble will provoke negative reaction regarding ethnic minorities in Latvia arguing that there is an article in the Constitution about protection of ethnic minorities and international conventions for protection of human rights. Mr Soklovskis believes that such Mr Levits’ approach reminds of an inventor of atomic bomb – he is just interested in its invention but after it is dropped on people he will say – it wasn’t me but politicians. 

 

Latvijas Avize reports about a news story on a Swedish Radio telling about the draft Preamble to the Constitution of Latvia. According to the newspaper, the Swedish radio asked for the opinion of a PhD student of theUniversity ofLatvia Olga Procevska who said that the ideas of the Preamble look like ideas of the era before the Holocaust as it defines that the state belongs to a certain ethnic group. The other interviewed person – a Latvian lawyer Lauris Liepa explained thatLatvia is the only place in the world where ethnic Latvians can speak their language, promote culture and do what other nation in the world do. A Latvian journalist living in Sweden Sandra Veinberga criticizes such news story considering that it is biased and wrongly evaluates the Preamble and calls Latvian Embassy inSweden to voice its critics about it explaining situation inLatvia. 

 

The Concord Centre remains the most popular political party in Latvia – according to a public opinion survey conducted by Latvijas Fakti, it is supported by 24,3% of residents. The Unity is supported by 14,4%, the Union of Greens and Farmers by 9,4%, the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM by 6,5%. The Reforms Party is supported only by 1,8% of respondents. Vesti Segodnya

• Latvian Human Rights Committee presents its second research on differences in rights of citizens and non-citizens

Today, the Latvian Human Rights Committee presents its second research on differences in rights of citizens and non-citizens in Latvia. Authors of the research will list the existing differences in rights of citizens and non-citizens, report how status of non-citizens is connected with social economy, inform about recommendations of international organisations on how to solve problem of large scale non-citizenship in Latvia. Presentation of the research is timed to the anniversary of 15 October 1991 or the date when Latvian government took a decision to grant Latvian citizenship only to those residents who were Latvian citizens before 1940 and their descendants, while the rest of residents or those who arrived to Latvia during Soviet era were granted status of non-citizen or alien. Vesti Segodnya

• Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Nils Muiznieks will come to Latvia with official visit after the up-coming Saeima’s elections
• Diena interviews an ethnic Roma Roksana Rudevica who now works as a lawyer’s assistant in the Ombudsman’s Office
• Head of the Union of Citizens and Non-citizens Vladimirs Sokolovs calls residents to put a badge with title “My friend is a non-citizen” on 15 October

The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe Nils Muiznieks during his public lecture at the Riga Graduate School of Law stated that he will come to Latvia with official visit after the up-coming Saeima’s elections in order to avoid politicisation of his visit. Mr Muiznieks mentioned that he will raise three main issues in Latvia: children with status of non-citizen, conditions in prisons, and living conditions of Roma in Latvia. Latvijas Avize

Diena interviews an ethnic Roma Roksana Rudevica who now works as a lawyer’s assistant in the Ombudsman’s Office on issues concerning Roma rights. According to Ms Rudevica, most often Roma face unequal treatment in the field of housing and employment in Latvia. Ms Rudevica says that during last few years large number of Roma have emigrated from Latvia to other EU countries, mainly United Kingdom. Ms Rudevica believes that Roma feel more comfortable in multicultural countries because their working abilities there are not judged by appearance. Ms Rudevica also believes that positives changes to the situation of Roma in Latvia will happen when the employers and other society members will learn to trust Roma.

Head of the Union of Citizens and Non-citizens Vladimirs Sokolovs calls all persons interested in overcoming the split in the society caused by division of Latvian residents into citizens and non-citizens to put a badge with title “My friend is a non-citizen” on 15 October. 15 October 1991 is the day when Latvian government took a decision to grant Latvian citizenship only to those residents who were Latvian citizens before 1940 and their descendants, while the rest of residents or those who arrived to Latvia during Soviet era were granted status of non-citizen or alien. Mr Sokolvs calls also leaders of public opinion including high state officials to join this action. Vesti Segodnya