Post-soviet oligarchy

July 7, 2007

Summer sunny day, Fishermen fest, numerous wedding parties, people on holidays....

Referendum....

Two questions:

1. Are you for the repealing of the law “Amendments to the National Security Law” of March 1, 2007?
2. Are you for the repealing of the law “Amendments to the State Security Authorities Law” of March 1, 2007?

This was the day of wedding of my very close friend. I was preparing myself for the wedding ceremony and a referendum had gone out of my mind. I had remembered about the referendum only 30 minuted before I had to leave for my friend's house to attend the pre-wedding ceremony. But it would not be me, if I did not cast my vote. Moreover, the polling station in my alma mater was just 3 minutes to go from my house. I took my passport, waiting for my mum ready to go. This was her first visit to the polling station in her entire life, because only in May she became "blue", got the "blue" passport of the Republic of Latvia. Her first reaction was not to go - "I do not know what to do and how to vote, thus, it is better to stay at home. Moreover, my vote does not matter and will not change smth." Bitter reality of Latvian democracy. We have 392 816 Latvian people who are non-citizens and has never ever attened the polling station and do not know how to vote. They do not know what does democracy mean - rule by the people and for the people. Although, they have all the chances to become an active citizen of Latvian society. This is just a matter of willingness. Despite the propaganda spread by some Russian media that the naturalisation exam is very difficult and humilating, my mum even with very poor knowledge of Latvian managed to pass it successfully, but on her behalf I can say that the atmosphere during the exam was very positive. But this is another issue to write about.

When we came in, we were the only ones in the polling station, not to mention people from the Election Commision. This was the clear sign to me that the referendum will be a faiure, a failure of Latvian democracy.

Next day I found that only 337 897 citizens of Latvia out of 1 850 616 went to the polling stations to cast their votes and vote for the repealing of the laws (more than 90%). But (!) the referendum would have taken place if at least half of the voters that participated in the last Saeima elections (453 730 voters) participated in it.

Latvian society has shown once again that democratic traditions in Latvia are weak, and instead of participatory democracy the overwhelming majority of Latvian people prefer elitist style of democracy...