All About Latvia

It could just be that Latvia is on the verge of a political crisis.

On Sept. 25, Latvian Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis decided to suspend the head of the anti-corruption bureau chief Aleksejs Loskutovs (pictured) under dodgy pretext – for the financial misappropriation, revealed in a June audit.

Allegedly several thousands of lats have been misappropriated in the bureau, however the State Auditor repeatedly said that the audit found no significant violations – no more or less than in any other government ministry – that would justify the Kalvitis’ decision.

The government formed a seven-member legally-dubious commission to investigate Loskutovs.

Led by the prosecuting attorney general, the commission consisted of six party hacks. No one has known whether the commission can make a decision unanimously or by a simple majority.

In its report, the commission presented its findings and left the final decision on the lap of the Kalvitis government, making that decision unanimously.

At the same time as the US Ambassador to Latvia admonished Latvians to fight for democracy and common values, the Latvian government decided to ask the parliament to dismiss Loskutovs based on the commission report.

After the decision, the commission member Dzintars Jaundzeikars said: “The harshest violation is that Loskutovs doesn’t follow the law, but walks around embassies and discredit the country.”

However, the prosecuting attorney Janis Maizitis told media that Loskutovs should remain in his office.

The charges against Loskutovs mounted by the time the evening news rolled out. The party leaders who three years ago elevated Loskutovs to his post, then claimed he misappropriated funds, now add a bonus charge that he is impossible to work with.

They say Loskutovs had disobeyed the Kalvitis decision for suspension and have been showing up for work. Loskutovs said that by law, only parliament or the prosecuting attorney can suspend him. The law was written in such a way to prevent politicians from messing around in the work of the anti-corruption bureau created to oversee them.

The government failed to convince the people that it was doing the right thing because the government have become so arrogant and self-assured, in part because it holds the majority in the Parliament and it has become fearless.

For now, the decision rests in the hands of 100 members of parliament who may be debating the Loskutovs factor on Thursday. Of the four-party coalition, only two parties – the Fatherlanders and the Greens – have questionable discipline to adhere to the party line, whether they have enough votes to defeat the measure remains to be seen.

Out of 58 coalition votes, the Greens hold 18 votes and the Fatherlanders hold 8. The Fatherlanders who had not been happy with the coalition so far may break ranks. If so, it will take 8 MPs to kill it.

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Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) — Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the European Union to crack down on the “glorification of Nazis” in Estonia and Latvia, two former Soviet republics that joined the bloc in 2004.

RIGA – I enjoy watching people in the Old Town — they’re so different from other parts of town. It is the only place in Riga where you could find people of various ethnic origins.

So I’m especially fond of people who wear a hammer and a sickle stickers on their clothes as they’re required by law.

They’re local Russians, you see.

It has been an official policy of this government since the dawn of our independence to separate residents into Latvians – the title race that deserves all the benefits of the Latvian state and are the core of this nation – and the non-Latvians.

Oftentimes, however, it is hard to tell who is who, so the government launched a hammer and a sickle sticker program (HSSP) for the non-ethnic Latvians to wear at all times. Those who are seen without the said sticker and upon the request turn out to be non-ethnic Latvians may end up being shot on the spot for the violation of the law.

The HSSP proved to be a success in our small but proud nation.

Non-Latvians live in segregated areas of town and are only allowed to visit the Old City every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the early morning hours — just in time of my walk.

Such are the rules in fascist Latvia, where portraits of the founding father of our nation, Adolphus Hitlers, are plastered on every corner. Children in this country learn to read using the text of “Mana Cina“, which has been translated into Latvian. The government thinks it’s good for the morale of the nation because it boosts national pride in the Only Race on Earth That Matters.

Those who disagree are immediately shot.

March 16 – a day we officially commemorate as the beginning of our struggle against the Soviets – is a national holiday that lasts a whole week, known as the Holy Week.

It’s the most celebrated of all holidays.

Tens of thousands of Latvian people march on the banks of the Daugava river every day during this Holy Week, signing praises to the current government.

Traditionally, during the march, some non-Latvians are hanged before a cheering crowd.

We also believe in the managed democracy. You can write anything you want as long as it goes along with the official stand of our great leader.

Those who disagree are immediately shot.

So next time you come to Latvia, you won’t have to hide your swastika and wear it under your clothes. You can wear it proudly for all to see that you belong to the Only Race on Earth That Matters.

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VILNIUS – Gas pipelines throughout Europe mostly come from one place, Gazprom.

The Russian energy giant dislikes competition on its own turf because it deals with Russia’s strategic reserves. So the party line goes anyhow. However, it doesn’t mind getting dibs on pieces of energy enterprises throughout Europe.

That’s the company from the country that wants to join the World Trade Organization.

The European Union considers “unbundling” the energy sector in the 27-nation bloc. It is basically the opposite of bundling that Microsoft was involved in in the EU before it received a slap on the wrist and a big fat fine from the Europeans.

Here at the conference some experts — and we know they’re experts because they’re boring and wearing glasses — suggest that “unbundling” doesn’t go far enough.

As one British expert put in a polite British manner, Gazprom has “a certain reputation of having shadowy daughter-companies,” adding “I’m terribly sorry for suggesting it.” Meaning Russians know how to get around the system.

No one probably knows it better than any post-Soviet countries, including the Baltics. Examples are many —

The recent Days of Our Lives saga between PACE and Estonia, Russia’s demand Ukraine pay its bills and the rich history of mutual understanding and cooperation between the Baltics and Russia show that when it comes to energy Russia is a reliable partner.

And again, the wibly-wobbly European bloc is urged to act to protect the Baltics in case Russian supplies supplies dwindle or its political attitude toward the Baltics shifts.

“Among the first countries they’re going to cut [are] the Baltic States, and Georgia. We know this is coming and we know this has already happened. It’s likely to get worse. You cannot leave the Baltic States in such a vulnerable position,” said Alan Riley, a professor at the City Law School in London.

And when all pipelines spear Gazprom, it would make it a long winter ahead for the Baltics.

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