• 30 MPs submitted a claim to the Constitutional Court asking to evaluate whether the national referendum on granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvian contradicts the Constitution
• For Equal Rights actively calls upon Latvian citizens to sign in support of the initiative granting Latvian citizenship to all non-citizens
• Riga City Council allocates LVL 60,000 for Latvian language courses
• Telegraf publishes two letters from its readers with their views on relations among ethnic Russians and Latvians

Yesterday, 30 MPs, mostly from the nationalists’ union and the Unity, submitted a claim to the Constitutional Court asking the Court evaluate whether the national referendum on granting Russian the status of a state language in Latvian contradicts the Constitution of Latvia. The majority of interviewed experts consider the move  belated, and believe that it increases more ethnic tension and also express concerns whether such democratic process as people’s voting in the national referedum can be stopped in the middle of the process.

Yesterday, 30 MPs, mostly from the nationalists union and the Unity, submitted a claim to the Constitutional Court asking the Court evaluate whether the national referendum on granting Russian the status of a state language in Latvian contradicts the Constitution of Latvia. The majority of interviewed experts consider the move belated, and believe that it increases more ethnic tension and also express concerns whether such democratic process as peoples voting in the national referedum can be stopped in the middle of the process. Neatkariga, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

The movement “For Equal Rights” actively calls upon Latvian citizens to sign for the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law granting Latvian citizenship to all non-citizens. During the first stage of the collection of signatures at least 10,000 signatures need to be collected.

The movement For Equal Rights actively calls upon Latvian citizens to sign for the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law granting Latvian citizenship to all non-citizens. During the first stage of the collection of signatures at least 10,000 signatures need to be collected. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize, Diena

The Riga City Council has allocated LVL 60,000 (EUR 85,842) for Latvian language courses. About 600 residents of Riga will be able to take free-of-charge courses in 2012.

The Riga City Council has allocated LVL 60,000 (EUR 85,842) for Latvian language courses. About 600 residents of Riga will be able to take free-of-charge courses in 2012. Chas

Telegraf publishes two letters from its readers – one from an elderly ethnic Latvian woman on the reasons why she does not support Russian as a state language in Latvia and the second letter from a young ethnic Russian man on his perceptions of the failure of integration policy in Latvia. The author of the first letter asserts that ethnic Latvians do not love Russians and are afraid of them because they see in Russians a threat to the Latvian language and nation state. The woman does not understand why ethnic Russian residents feel humiliated speaking the Latvian language despite that they themselves have chosen Latvia as their home and call it as their motherland. The woman believes that ethnic Russian and ethnic Latvian residents do not have to love each other, but to live with each other as people and to try to understand each other. The author of the second letter believes that integration in Latvia has failed due to the lack of real commitment on the part of ethnic Latvians for integration to take place. The young man believes that all the activities aimed at the integration of society funded by numerous European foundations have not brought any benefits because people who implemented those in reality were not interested in the outcome. The young man believes that almost all issues in Latvia are viewed trough ethnic dimension.

• President of Latvia Andris Berzins: in practice usage of Russian language in ensured in all important areas
• State Language Centre is planning check state language proficiency of employees of kindergartens

Chas prints an interview with the President of Latvia Andris Berzins. The President does not see the problem of usage of foreign languages, particularly usage of Russian language in Latvia. The President believes that the conflicts around the language problem are provoked by politicians. The President says that in practice usage of Russian language in ensured in all important areas such as medical care, courts and others. The President also believes that the referendum on the Constitutional amendments stipulating granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia contradicts the spirit of the Constitution because its essence is that Latvia is based on the Latvian language as the only state language and the integral territory.

Vesti Segodnya and Latvijas Avize reports that the State Language Centre (SLC) is planning to pay special attention to the preschool establishments and to check state language proficiency of employees of kindergartens. Head of the control department of the SLC Antons Kursitis believes that is unacceptable that state language is not used at all in communication among employees of preschool establishments with Russian language of instructions, but the children have only one lesson of Latvian language per week.

• Vladimirs Lindermans appealed to the General Prosecutors Office asking to initiate criminal proceedings against the MEP from Latvia Krisjanis Karins

Head of an NGO “Native Language” and one of the initiators of collection of signatures in support of granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia Vladimirs Lindermans appealed to the General Prosecutor’s Office asking to initiate criminal proceedings against the MEP from Latvia Krisjanis Karins. Mr Lindermans believes that the recent statement of Mr Karins should be qualified as a public call to genocide of a specific ethnic group. Latvian Criminal Law considers actions against an ethnic group by “forced transfer of children from one group to another” as genocide. As reported, Krisjanis Karins stated that ethnic Russians who grow in Latvia should become ethnic Latvians and the aim of the integration policy is assimilation of children of ethnic Russians.

Head of an NGO Native Language and one of the initiators of collection of signatures in support of granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia Vladimirs Lindermans appealed to the General Prosecutors Office asking to initiate criminal proceedings against the MEP from Latvia Krisjanis Karins. Mr Lindermans believes that the recent statement of Mr Karins should be qualified as a public call to genocide of a specific ethnic group. Latvian Criminal Law considers actions against an ethnic group by forced transfer of children from one group to another as genocide. As reported, Krisjanis Karins stated that ethnic Russians who grow in Latvia should become ethnic Latvians and the aim of the integration policy is assimilation of children of ethnic Russians. Chas

• Nationalists union is planning to ask the Constitutional Court to evaluate whether the up-coming referendum on granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia contradicts the Constitution
• MP Igors Pimenovs: up-coming referendum will split the society on ethnic lines
• OSCE/ODIHR report on the snap Saeimas elections in Latvia highlights barrier to political participation
• Metropolitan of Russian Orthodox Church in Latvia Aleksandr calls for the concord among Russian speakers and ethnic Latvians

The nationalists’ union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM is planning to ask the Constitutional Court of Latvia to evaluate whether the up-coming referendum on granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia contradicts the Constitution. The nationalists’ union collects signatures of the Parliament’s members to appeal to the Court. Head of the Saeima’s Legal Committee, MP Ilma Cepane (the Unity) in an interview with Latvijas Avize states that the referendum could have been stopped if the Central Elections Committee (CEC) refused to conduct it as it is anti-constitutional. According to Mrs Cepane, it could take years for the courts to decide whether the CEC’s decision was lawful.

The nationalists union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM is planning to ask the Constitutional Court of Latvia to evaluate whether the up-coming referendum on granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia contradicts the Constitution. The nationalists union collects signatures of the Parliaments members to appeal to the Court. Head of the Saeimas Legal Committee, MP Ilma Cepane (the Unity) in an interview with Latvijas Avize states that the referendum could have been stopped if the Central Elections Committee (CEC) refused to conduct it as it is anti-constitutional. According to Mrs Cepane, it could take years for the courts to decide whether the CECs decision was lawful. Diena, Latvijas Avize

Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with the MP from the Concord Centre Igors Pimenovs. According to Mr Pimenovs, since the very beginning he did not support the initiative to conduct referendum granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia. Mr Pimenovs considers that the up-coming referendum will split the society on ethnic lines, strengthen influence of national radicals and weaken positions of Russian language.

The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR) published a report on the snap Saeimas elections in Latvia conducted in September. According to the report, the elections were democratic and pluralistic; however there were some barriers to political participation. The report highlights that the political landscape in Latvia continued to be generally divided along ethnic and linguistic lines. As one of the barriers, the report names the ban to disseminate information materials for voters in Russian language because it creates potentially unfavourable conditions for ethnic minorities taking part in the elections. The report also mentions that there is still large number of non-citizens who have no rights to participate the elections. Chas

Link to the OSCE/ODIHR report

Link to the OSCE/ODIHR report http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/Latvia/86363

The Metropolitan Russian Orthodox Church in Latvia Aleksandr in his Christmas speech called for the concord among Russian speaking and ethnic Latvian residents. The Metropolitan stated that Latvian residents should search for common language and the society should be united.

The Metropolitan Russian Orthodox Church in Latvia Aleksandr in his Christmas speech called for the concord among Russian speaking and ethnic Latvian residents. The Metropolitan stated that Latvian residents should search for common language and the society should be united. Telegraf

• MEP from Latvia Krisjanis Karins: aim of integration policy is assimilation
• MP Janis Urbanovics will vote for the Constitutional amendments granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia at the up-coming national referendum

The MEP from Latvia Krisjanis Karins (the Unity) stated that the aim of integration policy is assimilation of ethnic minorities. Mr Karins stated that assimilation should begin with children.  Mr Karins also stated that there should be one common system of state schools in which children from various families would study in Latvian language.

The MEP from Latvia Krisjanis Karins (the Unity) stated that the aim of integration policy is assimilation of ethnic minorities. Mr Karins stated that assimilation should begin with children. Mr Karins also stated that there should be one common system of state schools in which children from various families would study in Latvian language. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Head of the Saeima’s faction Concord Centre Janis Urbanovics stated that he will vote for the Constitutional amendments granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia at the up-coming national referendum. Mr Urbanovics explained such decision by solidarity with the voters of the Concord Centre and by protest against the governing coalition. As a response to such statement, the Speaker of the Parliament Solvita Aboltina stated that those who support the referendum are against the Latvian state.

Head of the Saeimas faction Concord Centre Janis Urbanovics stated that he will vote for the Constitutional amendments granting Russian language status of a state language in Latvia at the up-coming national referendum. Mr Urbanovics explained such decision by solidarity with the voters of the Concord Centre and by protest against the governing coalition. As a response to such statement, the Speaker of the Parliament Solvita Aboltina stated that those who support the referendum are against the Latvian state. Chas, Vesti Segodnya