OSCE's human rights representative calls for urgent amendment of election laws in Latvia
ODIHR Director Gerard Stoudmann concluded a two-day visit to Latvia (Michal Olejarnik/OSCE) Photo details
RIGA, 20 March 2002 - The Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Ambassador Gerard Stoudmann, called on the political parties in Latvia to bring the election legislation in line with international standards well in advance of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Ambassador Stoudmann concluded a two-day visit to Latvia today, during which he met with Foreign Minister Indulis Berzins and other top officials to discuss future co-operation with Latvia following the closure of the OSCE Mission in the country at the end of last year.
"The closure of the Mission does not mean that the OSCE will not be active here anymore", said Ambassador Stoudmann. "Latvia has the same commitments in the field of human rights as any other OSCE country, and we will therefore continue our co-operation with the authorities and civil society like we do in other countries as well."
In view of the parliamentary elections in October, which will be observed by his office, the ODIHR Director urged the political parties in Parliament to remove provisions requiring candidates to prove their proficiency of the Latvian language: "We welcome the broad consensus that appears to have emerged on this issue, and we hope for a quick decision so that the amendments can become effective before the next elections", he said. "This is important in view of the upcoming international observation of the elections and Latvia's integration into European structures."
The ODIHR Director voiced concern about the large number of non-citizens in Latvia, and urged the authorities to continue to address this problem with utmost resolve in order to decrease the existing democratic deficit caused by the ineligibility of a substantial part of the population to take part in elections. In this context, he commended the work done by the Naturalization Board.
Among the other possible areas of co-operation discussed during the visit was the fight against trafficking in human beings, a problem that seriously affects the Baltic states since they form one of the main transit routes for trafficked persons in Europe. Ambassador Stoudmann also addressed the need to reform Latvia's judicial system, which is marked by severe backlogs in the court system and long pre-trial detention.
During his visit, Ambassador Stoudmann also met with the Deputy Chairman of the Parliament, Mr. Rihard Piks, Head of the Naturalization Board, Ms. Eizenija Aldermane, Head of the Central Election Committee, Mr. Arnis Cimdars, and the Director of the National Human Rights Office, Mr. Olafs Bruvers.
Ambassador Stoudmann concluded a two-day visit to Latvia today, during which he met with Foreign Minister Indulis Berzins and other top officials to discuss future co-operation with Latvia following the closure of the OSCE Mission in the country at the end of last year.
"The closure of the Mission does not mean that the OSCE will not be active here anymore", said Ambassador Stoudmann. "Latvia has the same commitments in the field of human rights as any other OSCE country, and we will therefore continue our co-operation with the authorities and civil society like we do in other countries as well."
In view of the parliamentary elections in October, which will be observed by his office, the ODIHR Director urged the political parties in Parliament to remove provisions requiring candidates to prove their proficiency of the Latvian language: "We welcome the broad consensus that appears to have emerged on this issue, and we hope for a quick decision so that the amendments can become effective before the next elections", he said. "This is important in view of the upcoming international observation of the elections and Latvia's integration into European structures."
The ODIHR Director voiced concern about the large number of non-citizens in Latvia, and urged the authorities to continue to address this problem with utmost resolve in order to decrease the existing democratic deficit caused by the ineligibility of a substantial part of the population to take part in elections. In this context, he commended the work done by the Naturalization Board.
Among the other possible areas of co-operation discussed during the visit was the fight against trafficking in human beings, a problem that seriously affects the Baltic states since they form one of the main transit routes for trafficked persons in Europe. Ambassador Stoudmann also addressed the need to reform Latvia's judicial system, which is marked by severe backlogs in the court system and long pre-trial detention.
During his visit, Ambassador Stoudmann also met with the Deputy Chairman of the Parliament, Mr. Rihard Piks, Head of the Naturalization Board, Ms. Eizenija Aldermane, Head of the Central Election Committee, Mr. Arnis Cimdars, and the Director of the National Human Rights Office, Mr. Olafs Bruvers.