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.

• Ministry of Welfare in order to eliminate discrimination of non-citizens pensioners proposes to cut pensions of citizens
• Saeima refused the draft law which envisaged granting non-citizens the right to take part in the European Parliament elections
• Riga City Elections Commission accepted for revision list of non-citizens
• Riga City Council cancelled its decision to close two Russian language elementary schools

Chas reports that the Ministry of Welfare in order to eliminate discrimination of non-citizens pensioners proposes to cut pensions of citizens. According to the newspaper, the draft amendments to the Law on State Pensions prepared by the Ministry indeed use the same approach to calculate pensions of Latvian citizens and non-citizens retiring after 1 January 2010: the years of Soviet-era employment at enterprises registered in other ex-USSR countries will not be included into the total length of service if Latvia does not have social agreement with those countries. At present, only citizens have the Soviet-era employment years outside of Latvia included into the total length of service. As reported, the Ministry of Welfare prepared the draft amendments as a response to a recent judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in favour of a Latvian pensioner, non-citizen Natalija Andrejeva who objected the fact that the years of her employment during the Soviet times at an enterprise located in Latvia but registered in Moscow and Kiev is not included in the total length of service on the ground that she does not have Latvian citizenship.

Yesterday, the Saeima refused the draft law which envisaged granting non-citizens the right to take part in the European Parliament elections proposed by the party For Human Rights in United Latvia.

Yesterday, the Saeima refused the draft law which envisaged granting non-citizens the right to take part in the European Parliament elections proposed by the party For Human Rights in United Latvia. Chas

Yesterday, the Riga City Elections Commission accepted for revision a list of candidates for the Riga City Council submitted by the Osipov’s Party. The list contains only Latvian non-citizens and is headed by the leader of the Latvian National Bolsheviks Vladimir Linderman. The list was submitted as a protest against the fact that Latvian non-citizens who lived in Latvia all their lives do not have the right to take part in the municipal elections while this right is granted to citizens of other EU countries who might have lived in Latvia for a few years.

Yesterday, the Riga City Elections Commission accepted for revision a list of candidates for the Riga City Council submitted by the Osipovs Party. The list contains only Latvian non-citizens and is headed by the leader of the Latvian National Bolsheviks Vladimir Linderman. The list was submitted as a protest against the fact that Latvian non-citizens who lived in Latvia all their lives do not have the right to take part in the municipal elections while this right is granted to citizens of other EU countries who might have lived in Latvia for a few years. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

The Committee on Education, Youth and Sports Affairs of the Riga City Council cancelled its decision to close two Russian language elementary schools in Riga.

The Committee on Education, Youth and Sports Affairs of the Riga City Council cancelled its decision to close two Russian language elementary schools in Riga. Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya