• Employees of the Ombudsman’s Office demand resignation of the Ombudsman Romans Apsitis
• Saeima will review draft amendments stipulating state language requirements for municipal deputies and MPs
• Most popular party in June - the Concord Centre

Employees of the Ombudsman’s Office demand resignation of the Ombudsman Romans Apsitis. The employees of the Ombudsman’s Office consider that Romans Apsitis is not competent in human rights issues and his decisions are not independent. The employees also complain about waste of budgetary funds in the Office and repressions against employees. The President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers considers that the conflict between the Ombudsman and his subordinates should be reviewed by the Saeima. The President also criticizes the Ombudsman for his absence at the Saeima’s session on 18 June when he was supposed to report about the Ombudsman Office’s activities. Latvijas Avize, NRA

NRA reports that the draft amendments to the Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers stipulating state language requirements for municipal deputies and MPs will be reviewed by the Saeima soon. According to the newspaper, a number of newly elected deputies in municipalities do not speak Latvian because there are no rules regulating state language proficiency of deputies.

According to the latest public opinion survey held by “Latvijas Fakti”, the most popular party in Latvia in June is the Concord Centre – 20,2% of residents supports it. The New Era and the Civil Union is supported by 8% and 6,4% accordingly. Other parties are supported by less than 5% of respondents. Diena