PM: Campaigns on granting voting rights to non-citizens are unjustified

RIGA - Campaigns demanding that voting rights be granted to non-citizens during next year's municipal elections are completely unjustified, Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (Unity) told the LNT morning show "900 sekundes" today.

Only citizens of Latvia have voting rights. If someone wishes to participate in elections, he or she must obtain these rights and citizenship through naturalization. "As far as I know, this is what many non-citizens do so," said Dombrovskis.

The prime minister emphasized that the naturalization process in Latvia must continue.

Dombrovskis also explained that the Saeima Legal Affairs Committee is currently working on amendments so "Latvia would not to plunge into countless referendums."

As reported, the association "For Honesty and Justice," whose partners are Vladimirs Lindermans' "Native Language" and other Russian-speaker organizations, has announced that Latvia's non-citizens will have voting rights already during the next municipal elections.

"For Honesty and Justice" also actively participated in organizing the language referendum on Feb. 18.