Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RIGA168
2009-03-26 06:05:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Riga
Cable title:
ELECTION LAW AMENDED TO ADDRESS ECHR CASE
how-toVZCZCXRO0164 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHRA #0168 0850605 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 260605Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY RIGA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5718 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS RIGA 000168
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM LG
SUBJECT: ELECTION LAW AMENDED TO ADDRESS ECHR CASE
Ref: 2008 Country Report on Human Rights - Latvia
UNCLAS RIGA 000168
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM LG
SUBJECT: ELECTION LAW AMENDED TO ADDRESS ECHR CASE
Ref: 2008 Country Report on Human Rights - Latvia
1. Latvia has amended its election law to allow former USSR and
Latvian State Security Committee (KGB) technical employees to be
candidates in parliamentary elections. Any Latvian citizen who had
worked in the planning, financing, administrative and economic units
of the KGB will now be eligible to be included in candidate lists
for the Latvian parliament. These amendments were introduced in
line with the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on
a complaint by Janis Adamsons, a former KGB border guard officer
whose candidacy for parliament was rejected by the Latvian courts.
2. As previously reported in the Human Rights Report on Latvia,
Adamsons was barred by the Central Election Commission from running
in 2002 (is that right) due to his previous involvement in a Soviet
security organization. The ECHR ruled in 2008 that his right to
participate in elections had been violated and that the legal
provision under which Adamsons was disqualified was too broad. The
ECHR noted Adamsons record of public service since Latvian
independence in 1991, including several government positions, and
noted previous Latvian court recommendations that Latvia allow
courts to take into account the individual merit and achievements in
the Republic of Latvia of a potential candidate. Rather than
allowing individual circumstances into deliberations, the new law
simply removes a select group of professions from those not allowed
to run, taking a very narrow approach to rectifying the ECHR
violation.
ROGERS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM LG
SUBJECT: ELECTION LAW AMENDED TO ADDRESS ECHR CASE
Ref: 2008 Country Report on Human Rights - Latvia
1. Latvia has amended its election law to allow former USSR and
Latvian State Security Committee (KGB) technical employees to be
candidates in parliamentary elections. Any Latvian citizen who had
worked in the planning, financing, administrative and economic units
of the KGB will now be eligible to be included in candidate lists
for the Latvian parliament. These amendments were introduced in
line with the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on
a complaint by Janis Adamsons, a former KGB border guard officer
whose candidacy for parliament was rejected by the Latvian courts.
2. As previously reported in the Human Rights Report on Latvia,
Adamsons was barred by the Central Election Commission from running
in 2002 (is that right) due to his previous involvement in a Soviet
security organization. The ECHR ruled in 2008 that his right to
participate in elections had been violated and that the legal
provision under which Adamsons was disqualified was too broad. The
ECHR noted Adamsons record of public service since Latvian
independence in 1991, including several government positions, and
noted previous Latvian court recommendations that Latvia allow
courts to take into account the individual merit and achievements in
the Republic of Latvia of a potential candidate. Rather than
allowing individual circumstances into deliberations, the new law
simply removes a select group of professions from those not allowed
to run, taking a very narrow approach to rectifying the ECHR
violation.
ROGERS