Press Review

Last Saturday the Latvian Social-Democratic Workers' Party (LSDWP) and the Latvian Social-Democratic Party (LSDP) formed the Latvian Union of Social-Democrats (LUSD). The amalgamation of the two parties was supported by party congresses. The LSDP Congress elected Mr. Juris Bojars Chairman of the Party while Mr. Janis Adamsons was elected Chairman of the LSDWP. In his report at the LSDWP Congress Mr. Adamsons suggested to amend the Citizenship Law in the way that would allow anyone who lived in Latvia for five to ten years and had a command of the Latvian language to receive citizenship through naturalization. Some of Adamsons' colleagues criticized the ideas expressed in his report. The program of the Latvian Union of Social-Democrats will be adopted on May 1, 1998. Diena

"People's Harmony" finalized its new draft program to be adopted on November 8. The document defines "PH" as "a Social-Democratic" party for the first time. A spokesman for the party stressed that the difference between the "PH" and Bojars' Social-Democrats would lie in the emphasis put by the party on the development of democracy in Latvia with special attention paid to the problems of non-Latvians and to a well-balanced foreign policy. Chas

Current "Latvijas Cels" Chairman Valdis Birkavs and "LC" faction Chairman Andrejs Pantelejevs will run for the post of Party Chairman. They announced the decision at the "LC" Conference last Saturday. Diena