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.

 

Press Review

Yesterday the independent deputy, Labour Party leader A.Kreituss announced that he had submitted to the Presidium of the Saeima information on forming a new faction in the 6th Saeima. There would be 10 deputies, and it would be the fourth largest in the Saeima.

Yesterday the independent deputy, Labour Party leader A.Kreituss announced that he had submitted to the Presidium of the Saeima information on forming a new faction in the 6th Saeima. There would be 10 deputies, and it would be the fourth largest in the Saeima. Neatkariga

Some more newspapers published information on the visit of the NHRO Director O.Bruveris’s visit to Valka.

Some more newspapers published information on the visit of the NHRO Director O.Bruveriss visit to Valka. Neatkariga

Diena interviews the Head of the Consular department of Latvian MFA S.Mellupe on the functions and activities of this department. Ms. Mellupe told the correspondent that every day they received information about some five passports lost abroad and requests to issue return documents to people whose travel documents were not valid any more. Offices of this Department protected interests and rights of physical and juridical persons abroad. They co-ordinated rendering help in extraordinary occasions, accidents, etc. She also told about those 16 countries Latvia had signed no visa agreements with and about the expressions of the German Foreign Minister K.Kinkel that Germany would implement no visa regime with the Baltic states at the end of this year, the latest - beginning of the next year.

Tevzemei un Brivibai/LNNK

has started its advertisement campaign for signing the proposal for a referendum. They published 10 questions about the amendments to the Law on Citizenship, the campaign and answers to them, as well the list of signing districts and their working hours in Riga. Rigas Balss

The heads of tenant unions met at the NHRO yesterday to discuss the problems arising from the need of domicile registration (propiska) in passports. It was acknowledged that the lack of this registration prevent a person to realise such his rights as a right for a job, education, social aid and creates problems for solving many essential issues. So persons with no domicile registration are not allowed to return to Latvia after leaving the country. As one more human rights violation was mentioned the wide spread practice of household managers to put for public information the list of persons having not paid their public utility bills, thus causing to suffer also relatives of these people. Jauna Avize

Dr. pol

. A.Pabriks publishes his considerations on different aspects of the independent Latvian state. When speaking about the inner policy of Latvia, he stresses that the most vital issue is formation of an integrated and free society and establishing a legal state. He is positive about amending the Law on Citizenship but the only drawback he sees is that these changes were made due to a foreign pressure. There was no political compromise among Latvian politicians on this issue, they just yielded to this outside pressure loosing their political posture. Amendments to the Law on Citizenship are just the beginning for formation of an integrated society. It is a very complicated and labour consuming task, Latvians would have to reconcile to the thought that Latvia will never be a national state in the ethnic understanding, but Russians have to understand that Latvia will never be Russia where the Russian language, culture and traditions would have no restrictions. . A.Pabriks publishes his considerations on different aspects of the independent Latvian state. When speaking about the inner policy of Latvia, he stresses that the most vital issue is formation of an integrated and free society and establishing a legal state. He is positive about amending the Law on Citizenship but the only drawback he sees is that these changes were made due to a foreign pressure. There was no political compromise among Latvian politicians on this issue, they just yielded to this outside pressure loosing their political posture. Amendments to the Law on Citizenship are just the beginning for formation of an integrated society. It is a very complicated and labour consuming task, Latvians would have to reconcile to the thought that Latvia will never be a national state in the ethnic understanding, but Russians have to understand that Latvia will never be Russia where the Russian language, culture and traditions would have no restrictions. Diena (Russian version)Diena (Russian version) Migration service specialists of Russia have estimated the situation and come to a conclusion that mass migration of non-native population from the Baltic states to Russia has come to an end. The peak of it was in 1992 - 1994 when every year about 26 000 people moved to Russia. In 1997 there were 5658 immigrants from Latvia, and now the migration level is in the frame of normal migration for all countries.

Migration service specialists of Russia have estimated the situation and come to a conclusion that mass migration of non-native population from the Baltic states to Russia has come to an end. The peak of it was in 1992 - 1994 when every year about 26 000 people moved to Russia. In 1997 there were 5658 immigrants from Latvia, and now the migration level is in the frame of normal migration for all countries. Chas

The head of Consular Department of Polish Embassy in Minsk V.Mendzelevsky announced that no visa regime for citizens of Russia and Byelorussia was abolished. According to the new regulations, citizens of these two countries have to acquire a visa either on the border or in the diplomatic representatives of Poland. Mr. V.Mendzelevsky explained that this was not a discrimination of citizens of Russia and Byelorussia.

The head of Consular Department of Polish Embassy in Minsk V.Mendzelevsky announced that no visa regime for citizens of Russia and Byelorussia was abolished. According to the new regulations, citizens of these two countries have to acquire a visa either on the border or in the diplomatic representatives of Poland. Mr. V.Mendzelevsky explained that this was not a discrimination of citizens of Russia and Byelorussia. Chas

Chas

interview ordinary citizens of Latvia on the streets of Riga whether they would go to sign the proposal. Some people did not now anything about it, some did not give a direct answer, some were eager to do it, but some had just a vague idea about it. Chas

Just after the ordinary refusal to register the block of left wing parties for the election to the 7th Saeima, the movement “Solidarity”, Socialist Party, People’s Harmony Party (PHP) and also Russian Party worked out an agreement to run for the elections under one banner on the list of PHP.

Just after the ordinary refusal to register the block of left wing parties for the election to the 7th Saeima, the movement Solidarity, Socialist Party, Peoples Harmony Party (PHP) and also Russian Party worked out an agreement to run for the elections under one banner on the list of PHP. SM

On the fourth day of collecting signatures for the proposal for a referendum there was no sign of increasing activity of the population. The leader of

On the fourth day of collecting signatures for the proposal for a referendum there was no sign of increasing activity of the population. The leader of Tevzemei un Brivibai/LNNK M.Grinblats and the head of this faction J.Straume confirmed this fact but explained that the Central Election Commission did not receive exact data from districts regularly and there was felt a pressure of public opinion on the activity of citizens. Bizness & Baltiya