Latvia should not throw democracy over board

Since last February's referendum on making Russian a second official language the whole subject of plebiscites has come under debate in Latvia. The politicians want to introduce a law preventing referendums on matters that rock the foundations of the state. The daily Neatkarīgā writes that Latvia is in danger of restricting its democracy: "Here in Latvia we are always being told that there are so many opportunities for democratic participation but no one takes advantage of them. All it takes is 10,000 signatures to launch a petition for a referendum, but so far none has been submitted. Why? Probably because democracy is being imposed on the people rather than allowing it to develop on its own. … Whey aren't the people being trained for voting on a national level with decisions at a local level, for example on where to put a bus stop or build a playground? It's tragic when the understanding of the coalition of the constitutional state [which is what the government claims to represent] ends in a fear of democracy."

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