A Baltic-American advocacy group is encouraging its supporters to push U.S. lawmakers to adopt a resolution recognizing Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania before Congress adjourns for the fall elections.

The resolution, sponsored by Republican Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois, would congratulate the Baltics on the 20th anniversary of their renewed independence and the end of Soviet occupation. But the resolution needs more co-sponsors and needs to be passed soon, says Karl Altau, managing director of the Washington, D.C.-based Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC).

“The U.S. Congress is scheduled to soon adjourn for coming fall elections, so calls to urge its passage are essential,” according to an e-mailed “action alert” JBANC sent to supporters on Sept. 17.

Congress is scheduled to adjourn on Oct. 8.

Shimkus, a member of the Baltic Caucus in the House of Representatives, introduced the resolution (H.Con.Res.267) on April 26. The proposal was referred the same day to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and has seen no action since.

In addition to congratulating the Baltic states, the resolution would call on the U.S. president “to continue to build the close and mutually beneficial relations the United States has enjoyed with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania since the restoration of the full independence of those nations.”

Some observers have expressed concern that U.S. interest in the Baltics, as well as the rest of Eastern and Central Europe, has cooled in recent years especially as American diplomats have looked at a “reset” of relations with Russia.

Twelve other House members have signed on as co-sponsors of the proposed resolution: Rep. Shelley Berkley of Nevada, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia, Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida, Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida, Rep. Tim Holden of Pennsylvania, Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, Rep. Daniel Lipinski of Illinois, Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotter of Michigan, Rep. Erik Paulsen of Minnesota, Rep. Aaron Schock of Illinois, Rep. John S. Tanner of Tennessee, and Rep. C.W. Bill Young of Florida.

JBANC provides details for contacting legislators on its website, jbanc.org.

A total of 890 Latvian citizens abroad have requested absentee ballots to vote in the Oct. 2 Saeima election, according to figures compiled by the Central Election Commission in Rīga. The number represents a nearly 60 percent increase over absentee ballot requests four years ago.

Citizens in the United States led the way, filing 313 requests with the Latvian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Potential voters in Germany submitted 212 requests with the embassy in Berlin, while citizens in Canada filed 109 requests with the embassy in Ottawa.

Citizens abroad had until Sept. 10 to submit the requests for mail ballots. They will receive ballots in time to return them to their local polling stations by the end of voting on Oct. 2, according to election commission officials.

Of the 24 embassies and honorary consulates through which absentee ballot requests could be made, three reported receiving no applications: the honorary consulates in Adelaide and Perth in Australia, as well as the embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel.

In Ireland, where tens of thousands of Latvian citizens now live, only three applications were reported to have been received by the embassy in Dublin.

The embassy in Oslo, Norway, received 74 requests. The embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, got 50 requests, while the embassy in London, England, had 45.

During the 2006 parliamentary election, 557 absentee ballots were requested by voters abroad. In all, 7,530 ballots were cast via mail or at polling stations abroad.

Latvian citizens abroad who do not vote by mail by Oct. 2 will be able to cast ballots on election day at one of 64 polling stations that will operate outside of the homeland.

A nonprofit organization with roots in the European exile community wants Latvia’s ombudsman Romāns Apsītis to rule that a recent political newsletter discriminates against sexual minorities.

ELJA50, an organization founded in 2005 as a continuation of the European Latvian Youth Association, filed the complaint Sept. 13 over a campaign newsletter distributed in Rīga by the conservative political coalition Par Labu Latviju! (PLL).

PLL is one of 13 parties that have fielded candidates in the Oct. 2 parliamentary election. It is a coalition of the First Party of Latvia (Latvijas Pirmā partija) and the People’s Party (Tautas partija).

ELJA50’s complaint is focused on PLL’s August newsletter. The 16-page publication includes three references to gays and transsexuals that portray them as inferior, ELJA50 claims.

Two of the references link sexual minorities with the political coalition Vienotība (Unity), another of the parties competing in the election. On the cover of the newsletter, a headline under a photograph of Vienotība candidate Artis Pabriks states that gays will be voting for Vienotība. On the fifth page, a box with text and photographs of four Vienotība candidates is highlighted with the headline “Geji un transseksuāļi balsos par Vienotību” (Gays and transsexuals to vote for Vienotība). The text notes that the Rīga-based Mozaika alliance of sexual minorities is supporting Vienotība in the parliamentary election.

The last page of the newsletter includes a cartoon of two men holding hands while looking at a poster of PLL leader Ainārs Šlesers. One of the men points to the poster, expresses disgust at Šlesers and says that the politician will not be invited to their wedding.

The newsletter’s comments about sexual minorities violate Latvia’s advertising law and the country’s constitution, as well as several international agreements that forbid discrimination, according to ELJA50’s complaint. ELJA50 suggests PLL’s actions might also be a violation of Latvia’s criminal law against discrimination.

The ombudsman’s office is a state institution. Like similar offices in other countries, Latvia’s ombudsman exists to safeguard the rights of individuals.

The ombuds office has 30 days in which to either accept or decline to further review ELJA50’s complaint.

Under Latvia’s ombuds law, the ombudsman may pursue legal action in cases where discrimination is determined.

A spokesperson for PLL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.