HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- 2002-10-03
19:00 *LATVIA*NATO*POLL*
LATVIANS DON'T WANT COUNTRY TO JOIN NATO 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://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=2764517&startrow=1&date=2002-10-03&do_alert=0 --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^==^============================================================= This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84wtS.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^==^============================================================= |
