Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

• Discussion about the proposal todeny the rights for non-citizens to occupy positions of teachers and headmasters
• The establishment of the new Riga City Council parliamentary group Cita politika under the guidance of Riga Vice-Mayor Sergey Dolgopolov
• The conflict about the procedure of deprivation of the non-citizen status
• Interview with the chairman of Peoples Harmony Party Janis Urbanovich
• Lawyers of Tatjana Slivenko about the fulfillment of judgment of the European Court for Human Rights
• The statements of the Russian Upper House representative and head of the Foreign Relations Committee Mihail Margelov

20 December 2003

The board of the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM has assigned its parliamentary group to draw up amendments to the legislation in order to deny the rights for non-citizens to occupy positions of teachers and headmasters. The party, reportedly said by the chairman of party Janis Straume, believes that teachers and headmasters, especially in minority schools, have expressed disloyal attitude towards the state and have discouraged many students who want to learn Latvian language. The Minister of Education and Science Karlis Shadurskis believes it reasonable to start discussing the issue, because there are no obstacles impeding the process of teachers’ naturalization. The leader of the Latvian Association for the Support of Russian-Language Schools (LASHOR) Igors Pimenovsstates that such a decision will limit the rights of the non-citizens yet more, and will cause a much greater society’s dissatisfaction with the education reform 2004

The board of the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM has assigned its parliamentary group to draw up amendments to the legislation in order to deny the rights for non-citizens to occupy positions of teachers and headmasters. The party, reportedly said by the chairman of party Janis Straume, believes that teachers and headmasters, especially in minority schools, have expressed disloyal attitude towards the state and have discouraged many students who want to learn Latvian language. The Minister of Education and Science Karlis Shadurskis believes it reasonable to start discussing the issue, because there are no obstacles impeding the process of teachers naturalization. The leader of the Latvian Association for the Support of Russian-Language Schools (LASHOR) Igors Pimenovsstates that such a decision will limit the rights of the non-citizens yet more, and will cause a much greater societys dissatisfaction with the education reform 2004. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Riga Vice-Mayor Sergey Dolgopolov in association with three other councilors, who have also discontinued their membership at the People’s Harmony Party after the exclusion of Sergey Dolgopolov, is planning to establish a new Riga City Council parliamentary group.

Riga Vice-Mayor Sergey Dolgopolov in association with three other councilors, who have also discontinued their membership at the Peoples Harmony Party after the exclusion of Sergey Dolgopolov, is planning to establish a new Riga City Council parliamentary group. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Chas

Diena features an article about the conflict between the Latvian representative to the international human rights organizations Inga Reine and the head of Saeima Legal Affairs Committee Solvita Aboltina. Inga Reine in her letter to the Committee has pointed to the clauses in the amendments to the law On the Status of Former Citizens of the USSR who are Not Citizens of Latvia or Any Other State, which in her opinion could cause the law-suits on the violation of human rights against Latvia. The amendments stipulate that people who have gotten a residence permit in another country can be deprived of the non-citizen status in Latvia without defining the actual procedure ofdeprivation. The amendments also do not grant the grounds for the individual case examination. The head of the Saeima Committee considers the form of the expression of these statements as unacceptable and has appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), asking to evaluate the work of Inga Reine. The state secretary of the MFA Maris Riekstins has replied that the mandate of the Reine allows her to express her own opinion about the eventual risks in the area of minority rights observation.

22 December 2003

Newspapers feature statements of several Latvian officials on the proposal of the board of the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM to deny the rights for non-citizens to occupy positions of teachers and headmasters. The Special Task Minister for the Societal Integration Nils Muiznieks believes that it is necessary to foster non-citizens’ motivation to naturalize, but it is not attainable employing the prohibitions and menaces. According to the Minister, from the human rights perspective the prohibition for non-citizens to occupy specific positions should be very seriously grounded. The head of the For Human Rights in United Latvia parliamentary group Jakov Pliner considers this proposal as a provocation from the national-radicals side, stating that such a decision could cause a serious conflict.

Newspapers feature statements of several Latvian officials on the proposal of the board of the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM to deny the rights for non-citizens to occupy positions of teachers and headmasters. The Special Task Minister for the Societal Integration Nils Muiznieks believes that it is necessary to foster non-citizens motivation to naturalize, but it is not attainable employing the prohibitions and menaces. According to the Minister, from the human rights perspective the prohibition for non-citizens to occupy specific positions should be very seriously grounded. The head of the For Human Rights in United Latvia parliamentary group Jakov Pliner considers this proposal as a provocation from the national-radicals side, stating that such a decision could cause a serious conflict. Vesti Segodnya also features an opinion of the vice-speaker of the Russia State Duma Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Latvijas Avize, Chas, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya

Chas features an interview with the chairman of Peoples Harmony Party Janis Urbanovich about the future plans of party.

Telegraf features the statements of the lawyers of Tatjana Slivenko, reportedly expressed in the interview to the Russia radio station Eho Moskvi, about the fulfillment of judgment of the European Court for Human Rights. The lawyers consider the refusal of Latvia to return the apartment, deprived due to Slivenko familys deportation from Latvia, or to assign an equal apartment to the family ,and to grant a residence permit, as incorrect.

23 December 2003

Newspapers continue discussion about the proposal of the board of the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM to deny the rights for non-citizens to occupy positions of teachers and headmasters, featuring the predominantly negative opinions of the Saeima MPs about it.

Newspapers continue discussion about the proposal of the board of the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM to deny the rights for non-citizens to occupy positions of teachers and headmasters, featuring the predominantly negative opinions of the Saeima MPs about it. Latvijas Avize, Chas, Telegraf

The Russian Upper House representative and Head of the Foreign Relations Committee Mihail Margelov, who has visited Latvia last week, states that Russia should develop a differential dialogue with the each of the Baltic States because the situation of the Russian speaking minorities in one state differs from the situation in the other. According to Margelov, Latvia should grant the voting rights at local government’s elections to the non-citizens and provide for the secondary education in the minority languages.

The Russian Upper House representative and Head of the Foreign Relations Committee Mihail Margelov, who has visited Latvia last week, states that Russia should develop a differential dialogue with the each of the Baltic States because the situation of the Russian speaking minorities in one state differs from the situation in the other. According to Margelov, Latvia should grant the voting rights at local governments elections to the non-citizens and provide for the secondary education in the minority languages. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Newspapers feature articles about the official establishment of the new Riga City Council parliamentary group “Cita politika” (“The Other Policy”) under the guidance of Riga Vice-Mayor Sergey Dolgopolov. The new political force, consolidating left-wing politicians, could be established on the basis of this parliamentary group until the next elections of local government. 

Newspapers feature articles about the official establishment of the new Riga City Council parliamentary group Cita politika (The Other Policy) under the guidance of Riga Vice-Mayor Sergey Dolgopolov. The new political force, consolidating left-wing politicians, could be established on the basis of this parliamentary group until the next elections of local government. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Rigas Balss, Vechernaya Riga, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf