Press Report

Yesterday Guntars Krasts met with the former government-forming fractions to discuss the possible candidates for a new Cabinet. Along with four big parties -

Yesterday Guntars Krasts met with the former government-forming fractions to discuss the possible candidates for a new Cabinet. Along with four big parties - the Democratic Party Saimnieks, Latvijas Cels, Tevzemei un Brivibai/LNNK and the Latvian Farmers Union - Mr. Krasts invited the National Reform Party, the Union of Christian Democrats and the Green Party to form the government. It is not clear whether Aleksandrs Kirsteins (National Reform Party) will remain at the post of special Minister for European Affairs, since it is planned to liquidate this office. Latvijas Cels asked for the post of the Minister of Defense. Referring to that the Christian Democratic Party announced that if the current Minister Talavs Jundzis was not offered the post of the Minister of Defense, the party would move into the opposition. The official list of the new candidates for the Cabinet will be announced on August 1. Diena, B&B

SM published an opinion of Janis Urbanovich, Member of the National Harmony Party, on the governmental changes in Latvia. According to Mr. Urbanovich, a new government under the leadership of Guntars Krasts will not bring changes into the non-citizen integration process, since “

SM published an opinion of Janis Urbanovich, Member of the National Harmony Party, on the governmental changes in Latvia. According to Mr. Urbanovich, a new government under the leadership of Guntars Krasts will not bring changes into the non-citizen integration process, since Tevzemei un Brivibai has announced the immutability of the Citizenship Law. One should not expect the speeding up of the process of naturalization, or the opening of naturalization windows. Mr. Urbanovich stressed that the majority of tax-payers in Latvia are non-citizens, therefore the Prime-Minister should find a way to keep those people in Latvia. Otherwise, the politics of hard naturalization will create serious economic problems.

DIENA in Russian starts to publish a series of articles under the heading “Citizenship”. From now on every Wednesday’s issue will have articles related to the process of naturalization and citizenship. Today DIENA publishes the information prepared by the CID on the process of naturalization that started in 1995. According to the CID, by 30 June 1997, five thousand four hundred ninety-four people have received citizenship, and some 2000 cases are under consideration.

DIENA in Russian starts to publish a series of articles under the heading Citizenship. From now on every Wednesdays issue will have articles related to the process of naturalization and citizenship. Today DIENA publishes the information prepared by the CID on the process of naturalization that started in 1995. According to the CID, by 30 June 1997, five thousand four hundred ninety-four people have received citizenship, and some 2000 cases are under consideration.

DIENA also publishes an article on an official ceremony of issuing Latvian passports to 49 people who have completed naturalization in the Vidzemes and the Latgales Districts in Riga. According to Juris Kvelde, Head of the Naturalization Department of the Vidzemes and Latgales Districts, only some 900 of 180, 000 inhabitants of the districts have applied for naturalization.

DIENA also publishes an article on an official ceremony of issuing Latvian passports to 49 people who have completed naturalization in the Vidzemes and the Latgales Districts in Riga. According to Juris Kvelde, Head of the Naturalization Department of the Vidzemes and Latgales Districts, only some 900 of 180, 000 inhabitants of the districts have applied for naturalization.

Press Report

Press Report

President Ulmanis asked Guntars Krasts (“

President Ulmanis asked Guntars Krasts (Tevzemei un Brivibai/LNNK) to form a new government. As Mr. Krasts told DIENA, the new government might be formed in a week, and it would not significantly differ from the previous Cabinet. According to unofficial information, the Cabinet would include Valdis Birkavs as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ziedonis Cevers as the Minister of the Interior, Andris Americs as the Minister of Economics, Vilis Kristopans as the Minister of Communications, Roberts Zile as the Minister of Finance, Anatolijs Gorbunovs as the Minister of Environment and Regional Development. Diena, B&B

SM informs that Ms. Aldermane, Head of the Naturalization Board, will answer readers’ questions about naturalization on July 30 at the “SM” editorial office.

SM informs that Ms. Aldermane, Head of the Naturalization Board, will answer readers questions about naturalization on July 30 at the SM editorial office. SM

Gints Ernestsons, Head of the Communication and Computerization Department at the Ministry of the Interior, informed DIENA about a plan to create a data web that by January 1998 would replace the old “propiska” system. To introduce this modern information system into state institutions by January, however, might be impossible, since the Saeima did not approve the changes in the budget that would assign 941, 000 Lats to the creation of the data web. The Citizenship and Immigration Department is currently working on regulations about the information exchange that would become a normative base for the changes in the population register system. Janis Jaudzems, Advisor to the Director of the CID, told DIENA that the new system might be introduced only after all inhabitants would have either citizen, non-citizen or foreign passports. Janis Anspoks, Head of the Computerization Section of the Internal Revenue Department, thinks that the personal tax records might become an alternative to the “propiska” system.

Gints Ernestsons, Head of the Communication and Computerization Department at the Ministry of the Interior, informed DIENA about a plan to create a data web that by January 1998 would replace the old propiska system. To introduce this modern information system into state institutions by January, however, might be impossible, since the Saeima did not approve the changes in the budget that would assign 941, 000 Lats to the creation of the data web. The Citizenship and Immigration Department is currently working on regulations about the information exchange that would become a normative base for the changes in the population register system. Janis Jaudzems, Advisor to the Director of the CID, told DIENA that the new system might be introduced only after all inhabitants would have either citizen, non-citizen or foreign passports. Janis Anspoks, Head of the Computerization Section of the Internal Revenue Department, thinks that the personal tax records might become an alternative to the propiska system.

Press Report

Today Prime-Minister Skele will hand in the resignation of the government. On Friday leaders of the government-forming parties declared that they did not see any possibility to continue working in a government headed by Mr. Skele, and they would quit it. According to Valdis Birkavs, it was a mistake to have a person without party affiliation in the Prime-Minister’s office. Ziedonis Cevers, leader of

Today Prime-Minister Skele will hand in the resignation of the government. On Friday leaders of the government-forming parties declared that they did not see any possibility to continue working in a government headed by Mr. Skele, and they would quit it. According to Valdis Birkavs, it was a mistake to have a person without party affiliation in the Prime-Ministers office. Ziedonis Cevers, leader of Democratic Party Saimnieks, assured journalists that a new government would be headed by a Prime-Minister having a party affiliation. Valdis Birkavs, Anatolijs Gorbunovs, Andrejs Pantelejevs (all Latvijas Cels), Ziedonis Cevers (Saimnieks), Guntars Krasts (Tevzemei un Brivibai/LNNK) were named as possible candidates for the Prime-Ministers office. Juris Dobelis, Deputy Chair of Tevzemei un Briviba/LNNK, informed DIENA that a new government might look similar to the present government, since parties tended to keep the present ministers. It is also possible that the resigned ministers return to the office. Diena, B&B

Vladymir Shustov, Russian Special Affairs Envoy, who took part in an international conference on Democracy and Security in the Baltics organized by NGO “Peace Quest“, told journalists that Russia did not support the Baltic willingness to join the NATO. He also noted that Russia would not like Latvia pay its membership in the NATO with Russia’s transit money. With referring to the Russian-speaking population, Mr. Shustov admitted that they should learn Latvian as quickly as possible. Still, he stressed that Latvian authorities should help people with that.

Vladymir Shustov, Russian Special Affairs Envoy, who took part in an international conference on Democracy and Security in the Baltics organized by NGO Peace Quest, told journalists that Russia did not support the Baltic willingness to join the NATO. He also noted that Russia would not like Latvia pay its membership in the NATO with Russias transit money. With referring to the Russian-speaking population, Mr. Shustov admitted that they should learn Latvian as quickly as possible. Still, he stressed that Latvian authorities should help people with that. Panorama Latvii

The Citizenship and Immigration Department informs that 13% of citizens still have not exchanged the USSR passports for Latvian passports. As was informed earlier, the former USSR internal passports carried by Latvian citizens would not be recognized as valid by Latvian authorities starting November 1. The CID also informed that by 24 July a little more than 17,000 non-citizens had received non-citizen passports. Most of them live in Riga and Daugavpils.

The Citizenship and Immigration Department informs that 13% of citizens still have not exchanged the USSR passports for Latvian passports. As was informed earlier, the former USSR internal passports carried by Latvian citizens would not be recognized as valid by Latvian authorities starting November 1. The CID also informed that by 24 July a little more than 17,000 non-citizens had received non-citizen passports. Most of them live in Riga and Daugavpils. Neatkariga

Press Report

Andris Stars, State Secretary of Ministry of Interior, informed that those officials at Ministry of Interior who did not know Latvian would be gradually dismissed. The “cleansing” would start with the ministry’s leadership.

Andris Stars, State Secretary of Ministry of Interior, informed that those officials at Ministry of Interior who did not know Latvian would be gradually dismissed. The cleansing would start with the ministrys leadership. Neatkariga

Press Report

Press Report

All the government-forming parties, except the Christian Democratic Union, agree with Mr. Birkavs’ criticism of the plan to save the government. At the same time, Prime-Minister Skele expresses incomprehension of Mr. Birkavs’ statements, since Mr. Birkavs himself had proposed some ideas that subsequently were incorporated into the plan. According to Mr. Skele, it will be very difficult to continue working with Mr. Birkavs in the same government. Although the Prime-Minister stresses that he will not resign, he mentions the vote of non-confidence in the Saeima as a “normal” possibility.

All the government-forming parties, except the Christian Democratic Union, agree with Mr. Birkavs criticism of the plan to save the government. At the same time, Prime-Minister Skele expresses incomprehension of Mr. Birkavs statements, since Mr. Birkavs himself had proposed some ideas that subsequently were incorporated into the plan. According to Mr. Skele, it will be very difficult to continue working with Mr. Birkavs in the same government. Although the Prime-Minister stresses that he will not resign, he mentions the vote of non-confidence in the Saeima as a normal possibility. Diena, Neatkariga

As was mentioned earlier this week, the Prime-Minister suggested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within 10 days should present a plan which by December would improve the work of foreign affairs departments and the Latvian diplomatic corps. Valdis Birkavs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, thinks that the Prime-Minister has wrongly stressed the need for improvements only in the work of the MFA. According to Mr. Birkavs, the improvement of other ministries’ work is more urgent, since the European Commission resolution has particularly stressed the shortcomings in legal, internal and economic spheres. The MFA has already distributed the European Commission resolution to all ministries with the request to submit evaluations by July 23. It is planned to review those reports at the meeting of the European Integration Council on July 28.

As was mentioned earlier this week, the Prime-Minister suggested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within 10 days should present a plan which by December would improve the work of foreign affairs departments and the Latvian diplomatic corps. Valdis Birkavs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, thinks that the Prime-Minister has wrongly stressed the need for improvements only in the work of the MFA. According to Mr. Birkavs, the improvement of other ministries work is more urgent, since the European Commission resolution has particularly stressed the shortcomings in legal, internal and economic spheres. The MFA has already distributed the European Commission resolution to all ministries with the request to submit evaluations by July 23. It is planned to review those reports at the meeting of the European Integration Council on July 28. Diena

SM informs that in response to the statements of Alexander Perelygyn, Advisor to the Mayor of Moscow, on the impossibility to have good-neighbour relations between Riga and Moscow while Latvia has not solved the problems of the Russian speaking population, Andris Berzins, Mayor of Riga, said that all accusations apply to the work of the previous City Council. Besides, Mr. Berzins thinks that it is absurd to relate the ethnic situation to the co-operation between two cities. SM

SM informs that in response to the statements of Alexander Perelygyn, Advisor to the Mayor of Moscow, on the impossibility to have good-neighbour relations between Riga and Moscow while Latvia has not solved the problems of the Russian speaking population, Andris Berzins, Mayor of Riga, said that all accusations apply to the work of the previous City Council. Besides, Mr. Berzins thinks that it is absurd to relate the ethnic situation to the co-operation between two cities. SM