RIGA, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Members of the Latvian parliament public administration committee on Tuesday rejected nationalist lawmakers' proposal to allow election campaigning only in Latvian, local media reported.
Arguing for the proposal, Aleksandrs Kirsteins, an MP of the ruling National Alliance which came up with the initiative, said on public radio that many Latvians, for example those who have spent a long time living or studying abroad, do not understand Russian and political campaigns in foreign languages would amount to discrimination against them.
Meanwhile, politically active people should not have difficulties using the state language, Kirsteins said.
Sergejs Dolgopolovs, chairman of the parliament public administration committee, voiced the opposite opinion, saying that ethnic non-Latvians are also entitled not only to expressing their opinions but also to receiving information in their native language.
Speaking on public radio, Dolgopolovs dismissed the discrimination argument saying that rather than voters looking for information, it is political parties that try to reach out to their electorate in a language they understand.
Gunta Lidaka, a member of the Latvian broadcasting watchdog, the National Electronic Mass Media Council, warned that the language restriction on election campaigns would be in breach with national media legislation regulating the work of broadcasters like Latvian Radio.
Raivis Dzintars, the leader of National Alliance, said earlier that campaigning in languages like Russian was unnecessary in Latvia since all eligible voters, being Latvian citizens, are supposed to know the Latvian language.
Latvia is due to hold a parliamentary election this October.
