Non-citizens demonstrate for their rights

RIGA – Friday's high winds and falling snow did not deter demonstrators from showing their outrage against the prohibition of non-citizens in Latvia's elections. Approximately 300 protesters, mostly Russian-speaking pensioners, gathered at a monument to the Latvian poet Janis Rainis monument in Riga's center.

Organized by the Latvian Human Rights Committee, the protest was entitled "For Responsibility of Authorities before the People" and aimed to bring attention to the human-rights violations against the Russian-speaking population of Latvia.

"Nine years have passed since the majority of Latvia's population voted for independence, but non-citizens still do not have the right to vote in municipal elections and it is not fair." maintained Leonids Reihmans, LHRC co-chairman.

Tatyana Zdanoka, head of Lidztiesibas, an equal rights organization endorsing the rights of the Russian-speaking population, began the rally with "March 3 is a very significant date. In 1991, a nationwide poll questioned whether you were for an independent Latvia, to which you replied yes. Pensioners stood up for their rights in 1998, in a rally that ended violently. Last year we were not allowed to stand by Riga's City Hall to commemorate the events of the year before and this year we were not given permission to demonstrate in Ratslaukums Square." The LHRC initially applied to Riga's City Council for permission to demonstrate in Old Town's Ratslaukums Square. However, their request was denied on the grounds that Slovenian president Milan Kucan would be visiting the Old Town during the time of the the protest was planned. As a result, members of LHRC decided to change the forum to that of a meeting with members of Parliament, which does not require authorization by City Council.

Adjacent to the monument, protesters held two large posters stating "Monopoly up against the wall, ethnocracy in the garbage" and "He who pays, calls the tune. Election rights - all taxpayers."

Concurrently, a petition addressed to the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe was passed around. It requested these organizations influence Latvia's government in granting rights to use minority languages in public arenas and guarantee an educational system in these languages. Furthermore, it demanded the provision of quality Latvian-language classes and the right to vote for anyone who has resided in Latvia longer than five years. Among the attendees was Janis Jurkans, chair of the party For Human Rights in a United Latvia, who said "The participation of non-citizens in municipal elections is a 'normal' practice to be found in Estonia and other countries."