Petition seeks constitutional changes to make Russian an official language

Andris Straumanis | 

A petition calling for constitutional amendments to make Russian the second official language in Latvia has been submitted to the Central Election Commission in Rīga.

The petition with 12,516 voter signatures was submitted Sept. 9, according to commission spokesperson Kristīne Bērziņa. The commission must now evaluate the petition, a process that could take up to four weeks because of the upcoming Sept. 17 parliamentary election.

The notarized signatures, on 4,405 pages, were submitted by the Russian-oriented “Dzimtā valoda” (Native Language) organization. The group has been gathering signatures for months.

The Latvian constitution recognizes Latvian as the sole state language.

Under Latvian law, amendments to the constitution can be initiated by at least 10,000 voters signing a petition within a one-year period. If the signatures are determined to be valid, the election commission must call for a 30-day period in which additional signatures would be gathered.

The proposed constitutional amendments would affect:

  • Paragraph 4, which currently makes Latvian the only state language.
  • Paragraph 18, which stipulates the oath made by members of parliament. Under current language, they promise to strengthen Latvian as the only state language.
  • Paragraph 21, which states that Latvian is the language of the Saeima.
  • Paragraph 101, which states that the official language of local governments is Latvian.
  • Paragraph 104, which guarantees people the right to address government bodies and to receive an answer in Latvian.

If at least 10 percent of the number of eligible voters in the last parliamentary election sign on to the initiative, then the Saeima will have to consider the amendments. Because the Sept. 17 election will be the most recent, that means 154,270 signatures will need to be gathered—including those already submitted on the petition.

If the signature drive is successful and the Saeima either amends or rejects the proposed constitutional amendments, then the question would be put to a national referendum. To pass, at least half of all eligible voters would have to cast ballots in favor of the amendments.

In June, an effort to amend the constitution to make Latvian the only language of instruction in public schools fell short of the required number of signatures to force a referendum.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

Informatīvā sarīkojumā Austrālijas latvieši dzird par partijām un procesu

Latvians Online | 

Pirms divām nedēļām vēlētāji Austrālijā sapulcējās Melburnas latviešu namā, lai noklausītos politologa Ulda Ozoliņa referātu par krīzi Latvijā.

Nedēļu pirms 11. Saeimas vēlēšanām 17. septembrī, Ozoliņš atkal uzstājās, šoreiz apskatot politiskās partijas un balsošanas procesu.

Ozoliņš aizrādīja, ka neskatoties uz jaunākiem partiju reitingiem, paliek daudz vēlētāju, kas vēl nav izšķīrušies par ko balsot, un tieši viņi varētu ietekmēt rezultātus.

Viņš arī apskatīja vēlētaju aktivitāti ārzemēs.

Informatīvo pārrunu rīkoja Melburnas latviešu organizāciju apvienība.

Piedāvājam Ozoliņa referāta audio ierakstu:

Jurjevics sets second novel amid war, corruption in Vietnam

Andris Straumanis | 

For 14 months from 1967-1968, Juris Jurjevics served as part of American forces in Vietnam. He used that experience as background for his soon-to-be-published second novel, Red Flags.

The book is the story of Erik A. Rider, an Army cop who is sent to the Central Highlands to help stop the flow to the North Vietnamese of cash that is being generated from the opium smuggling. The story begins when, 40 years after the war, Rider is visited by the daughter of his former colonel. Some say Rider was involved in the colonel’s death.

From the back cover publicity:

Rider lands in Cheo Reo, home to hard-pressed soldiers, intelligence operatives, and profiteers of all stripes. The tiny U.S. contingent and their unenthusiastic Vietnamese allies are hopelessly outnumbered by infiltrating enemy infantry. And they’re all surrounded by sixty thousand Montagnard tribespeople who want their mountain homeland back.

The Vietcong are on to Rider’s game and have placed a bounty on his head. As he hunts the opium fields, skirmishes with enemy patrols, and defends the undermanned U.S. base, Rider makes a disturbing discovery: someone close to home has a stake in the opium smuggling ring—and will kill to protect it.

Red Flags is due out Sept. 20 and is being published by the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company.

Jurjevics was born in Latvia and came to the United States after World War II along with thousands of other Displaced Persons. After his stint in Vietnam, he began working for publisher Harper & Row. Among other positions in the publishing industry, Jurjevics also co-founded New York-based Soho Press and led it for 20 years.

Jurjevics’ first novel was The Trudeau Vector, published in 2005 (see our review, Death under the northern lights).

Red Flags

Where to buy

Purchase Red Flags from Amazon.com.

Note: Latvians Online receives a commission on purchases.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.