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http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=2764517&startrow=21&date=2002-10-03&do_alert=0 LATVIANS DON'T WANT COUNTRY TO JOIN NATO -The absolute majority of respondents polled by Force of Reason called for a referendum on NATO accession. The Latvian government, however, has strenuously opposed a referendum, maintaining that the country's constitution, adopted as far back as 1922, does not allow the procedure. Force of Reason leaders intend to send the poll data to the government, as well as the NATO headquarters, leaders of NATO member countries, and, possibly, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. RIGA, October 3. /Anatoly Baranovsky, RIA Novosti correspondent/. An independent poll conducted by the Force of Reason group in Latvia appears to disconfirm official polls that have thus far tended to indicate the majority of the public favor the country's bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The left-wing youth organization Force of Reason over recent months polled 8,145 respondents in capital Riga, Latvia's second city Daugavpils, the port town of Ventspils, and in Jekabpils in the center of the Baltic state. Of these, 7328 opposed Latvia's membership of NATO, with only 817 favoring the idea. Force of Reason representatives said NATO proponents believed Alliance membership would guarantee the country's security. Opponents pointed to high costs associated with NATO accession and questioned the security agenda behind it, claiming that rather than deterring terrorists, Alliance membership could actually attract them. Force of Reason's poll results challenge research carried out by Social-Correlative Data Systems and Baltijas Datu Nams polling firms, which has suggested that over 60 percent of Latvians support the idea of joining NATO. The absolute majority of respondents polled by Force of Reason called for a referendum on NATO accession. The Latvian government, however, has strenuously opposed a referendum, maintaining that the country's constitution, adopted as far back as 1922, does not allow the procedure. Force of Reason leaders intend to send the poll data to the government, as well as the NATO headquarters, leaders of NATO member countries, and, possibly, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. "We insist on a legitimate resolution of the NATO accession issue," said the group's leader, Alexander Sakovsky, adding, "the answer obtained in a referendum will unequivocally show what the population really wants." ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/dt/Qlatvia-vote.R7Nc_CO3.html As EU, NATO invitations loom, Latvia votes for a new parliament Nick Coleman RIGA, Oct 3 (AFP) - The ex-Soviet state of Latvia goes to the polls on Saturday to choose the team which will steer the Baltic country through to membership of the European Union and NATO. The government which emerges from the 100-strong parliament elected by the 1.4 million voters will be tasked with pushing Latvia towards the finishing line in its EU membership talks by end year and ensuring that it gets its expected invitation to join the NATO military alliance at a November summit in Prague. The latest opinion polls show that voters in the chilly country of 2.35 million people are unimpressed by the efforts of the Latvia's Way party of Prime Minister Andris Berzins, and suggest that another coalition government is likely. With two and a half years at the helm Berzins is the country's longest standing prime minister. However, polls suggest that he will get only 5.5 percent of the vote, just enough to squeeze his party back into parliament under the country's system of proportional representation. Although Berzins has all but ensured Latvia gets into the EU and NATO and helped the Latvian economy buck the global downturn last year, growing by 7.6 percent, that is cold comfort to the eight percent of the population which is out of work, sidelined by the slow modernisation of old Soviet-era businesses. "The benefits ... that we're proud of are not things that come overnight. Closing EU chapters doesn't mean anything to the man on the street," Berzins' advisor Peteris Elferts acknowledged. Latvia has ploughed through all but three of the 31 negotiating areas, or "chapters" in EU speak, it needs to conclude before it gets confirmation in December that it is ready to join the EU in 2004. "Latvia's economy is booming and it's on the verge of achieving major foreign policy goals, but the election is up in the air," said Pauls Raudseps, editor of the leading daily Diena. Although it has raced ahead its EU and NATO membership preparations, Latvia's efforts to join both organisations have been dogged by concerns over its record in fighting corruption. Benefiting from what is perceived as a poor performance by Berzins has been the centre-right People's Party of Andris Skele, a coalition partner, which led the pack in the latest Latvijas Fakti poll with 14.9 percent support. However, a bitter row between coalition partners threw a cat among the pigeons just days before the election. As the poll approached Berzins sacked his People's Party Interior Minister Mareks Seglins, saying he had orchestrated the detention by law enforcement agents of a senior Latvia's Way official who had been involved in underhand campaign tactics. The row could tip the balance in favor of the right-of-center New Era party, formed earlier this year by a popular former central bank head, Einars Repse, on a ticket of transparency and efficiency. Despite spurning the use of advertising, New Era led in opinion polls until a few weeks ago and was close to the People's Party in the latest Latvijas Fakti poll at 13.6 percent. But any New Era victory is unlikely to be overwhelming due to the country's proportional representation system, Karlis Streips, a political commentator for Radio Latvia, said. Placed a close third in recent polls is the left leaning For Human Rights in a United Latvia (FHRUL), which campaigns on behalf of the country's Russian speakers, who represent almost a third of the population. Many of them are Soviet era settlers who have not naturalised and have no voting rights. The situation of the Russian minority has proved a regular bone of contention between Riga and its former Soviet master Russia. For Fatherland and Freedom, the third partner in the government coalition, has fared badly in opinion polls having been seen to have done badly at its job of managing the health system. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? 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