• Nationalists union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM prepares a special draft law which could exclude MP Valerijs Kravcovs from the Saeima
• Union of Citizens and Non-citizens asks MEPs to clarify their position regarding Latvian non-citizens
• 1,064 persons were included in the black list in 2010
• All for Latvia! collects signatures for support of transition of all state funded schools into Latvian language in the Occupation Museum
• Saeimas Committee is planning to revise norms of the Immigration Law

Nationalist’s union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM prepares a special draft law which could exclude MP Valerijs Kravcovs from the Saeima due to his insufficient state language proficiency. The Saeima’s lawyers believe that exclusion of Mr. Kravcovs can be based on the Saeima Rules of Procedure which say that MP can be excluded from the parliament due to insufficient state language proficiency. Ex-head of the Constitutional Court Aivars Endzins believes that exclusion of MP from the parliament would contradict the Constitution because it does not stipulate any requirements for Latvian language proficiency from MPs.

Nationalists union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM prepares a special draft law which could exclude MP Valerijs Kravcovs from the Saeima due to his insufficient state language proficiency. The Saeimas lawyers believe that exclusion of Mr. Kravcovs can be based on the Saeima Rules of Procedure which say that MP can be excluded from the parliament due to insufficient state language proficiency. Ex-head of the Constitutional Court Aivars Endzins believes that exclusion of MP from the parliament would contradict the Constitution because it does not stipulate any requirements for Latvian language proficiency from MPs. Chas, Diena

Chas reports that NGO Union of Citizens and Non-citizens sent letters to the members of the European Parliament with a request to clarify their position regarding participation of Latvian non-citizens in the municipal elections.

1,064 foreign citizens were included in the list of persons whose entrance to Latvia is denied in 2010. In total, there are 5,000 persons in the black list.

1,064 foreign citizens were included in the list of persons whose entrance to Latvia is denied in 2010. In total, there are 5,000 persons in the black list. Vesti Segodnya

Yesterday, at the 20th anniversary day of January 1991 barricades, nationalist’s union All for Latvia! organised collection of signatures for support of transition of all  state funded schools into Latvian language in the Occupation Museum. So far, the union collected only 5,000 signatures out of 10,000 required to initiate state funded collection of signatures.

Yesterday, at the 20th anniversary day of January 1991 barricades, nationalists union All for Latvia! organised collection of signatures for support of transition of all state funded schools into Latvian language in the Occupation Museum. So far, the union collected only 5,000 signatures out of 10,000 required to initiate state funded collection of signatures. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

The Saeima’s Defence, Interior and Corruption Prevention Committee is planning to revise norms of the Immigration Law regarding permanent residence permit to foreign investors. The norms would become were strict.

The Saeimas Defence, Interior and Corruption Prevention Committee is planning to revise norms of the Immigration Law regarding permanent residence permit to foreign investors. The norms would become were strict. Latvijas Avize

• Chas prints an interview with the Adviser of the Minister of Culture on integration issues Andrejs Berdnikovs
• Ministry on Foreign Affairs: Latvia has to find adequate solution on compensation to the Jewish community for properties lost during the Holocaust
• Latvijas Avize reports about up-coming visit of the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Knut Vollebaek to Latvia

Chas prints an interview with the Adviser of the Minister of Culture on integration issues Andrejs Berdnikovs. Mr. Berdnikovs believes that Latvia should pass on system of mixed multiethnic schools where the language of instructions would be in Latvian. Mr. Berdnikovs believes that such model of education would be a firm basis for integration, at the same time, Latvia is not ready for such reform yet.

According to the Ministry on Foreign Affairs, Latvia has to find adequate solution on compensation to the Jewish community for properties lost during the Holocaust. The draft law on compensation to the Jewish community elaborated about 3,5 years ago stipulates that compensation should be in amount of LVL 32 millions (EUR 45 millions).

According to the Ministry on Foreign Affairs, Latvia has to find adequate solution on compensation to the Jewish community for properties lost during the Holocaust. The draft law on compensation to the Jewish community elaborated about 3,5 years ago stipulates that compensation should be in amount of LVL 32 millions (EUR 45 millions). Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize reports about up-coming visit of the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Knut Vollebaek to Latvia. During the visit the High Commissioner will meet with state officials, politicians and representatives of NGOs.

• The Minister of Interior Linda Murniece: ex-Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov does not love Latvia

The Minister of Interior Linda Murniece stated that the ex-Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov was included in the list of persons whose entrance to Latvia is denied because of his attitude towards Latvia, hateful statements about Latvia, and because he wants to use Latvia for private aims such as free entrance to Schengen area and he is not interested in developing Latvian economy. According to the Minister, few years ago Yuriy Luzhkov said enough about Latvia to consider him as a person who does not love this country.

The Minister of Interior Linda Murniece stated that the ex-Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov was included in the list of persons whose entrance to Latvia is denied because of his attitude towards Latvia, hateful statements about Latvia, and because he wants to use Latvia for private aims such as free entrance to Schengen area and he is not interested in developing Latvian economy. According to the Minister, few years ago Yuriy Luzhkov said enough about Latvia to consider him as a person who does not love this country. Neatkariga

• Ex-Mayor of Moscow Yuriy Luzhkov applied for residence permit in Latvia and got included in the black list

The ex-Mayor of Moscow Yuriy Luzhkov applied for residence permit in Latvia. The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs did not make a decision on Mr. Luzhkov yet, however, Minister of Interior Linda Murniece already stated that Mr. Luzhkov is unwelcome person for Latvia because of his negative attitude towards Latvia. Yesterday, Mr. Luzhkov was also included into the list of persons whose entry to Latvia is denied.

The ex-Mayor of Moscow Yuriy Luzhkov applied for residence permit in Latvia. The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs did not make a decision on Mr. Luzhkov yet, however, Minister of Interior Linda Murniece already stated that Mr. Luzhkov is unwelcome person for Latvia because of his negative attitude towards Latvia. Yesterday, Mr. Luzhkov was also included into the list of persons whose entry to Latvia is denied. Telegraf, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga

• Latvian human rights NGOs will give the UN their own reports on human rights situation in Latvia
• NGO Saeima of Latgale will unite all persons interested in preservation of Latgalian language

Telegraf reports that Latvias human rights NGOs will also submit to the United Nations Organisation their reports on human rights situation in Latvia. As reported, human rights report submitted to the UN by the government is mostly positive.

Chas reports about the initiative to establish NGO Saeima of Latgale in January 2011. The NGO would unite all persons interested in preservation of Latgalian culture. One of the activists for Latgalian language in interview with newspaper states that it is very important to define Latgalian as a language and not as a dialect of Latvian language because if it continues to be considered as dialect it will be too difficult to preserve it. The interviewee also highlighted confusion following the proposal of the Union of Regional and Minority Languages to include Latgalian to the list of possible answers to the question What is your native language? in the upcoming population census. Instead, the census working group developed a complicated wording do you consider your native language Latvian as well as its dialects (Latgalian language and others)? According to the interview, during the Pilot Population Census conducted recently, 13% of the participants did not understand this question, while 22% claimed Latgalian as their native language.