Press statement
OSCE minorities commissioner supports amendments to election laws in Latvia
- Date:
- Place:
- THE HAGUE
- Source:
- OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
- Fields of work:
- Democratization, Elections
THE HAGUE, 11 April 2002 - The following statement was issued by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Rolf Ekeus, today:
Following the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights on the case of Ingrida Podkolzina vs. Latvia, I wish to reiterate my support for the intention of the Latvian Government to amend the Election Laws with a view to remove linguistic requirements to stand for elected office. This is a necessary condition in a functioning democratic society and will bring Latvian legislation in line with international standards and the practice of democratic States.
Following the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights on the case of Ingrida Podkolzina vs. Latvia, I wish to reiterate my support for the intention of the Latvian Government to amend the Election Laws with a view to remove linguistic requirements to stand for elected office. This is a necessary condition in a functioning democratic society and will bring Latvian legislation in line with international standards and the practice of democratic States.
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