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Pro-Russian Latvians protest party's exclusion from government
Oct 17, 2011, 11:11 GMT
Riga - Latvians Monday protested Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis' decision to exclude the pro-Russian Harmony Centre party from his new coalition, despite the fact that they won more votes than any other party in September elections.
Some 3,000 people hoisted placards outside the parliament in Riga, accusing Dombrovskis' government of ethnic discrimination.
'We want to join the government,' said MP Sergey Potapkin of Harmony Centre.
Harmony Centre may still succeed in entering government, as six members of a coalition party resigned on Sunday, meaning Dombrovskis' coalition no longer has a majority.
Commentators said President Andris Berzins may have to step in to resolve the dispute.
Latvians of non-Russian origin remain skeptical of Harmony Centre, whose party platform does not consider Latvia to have been 'occupied' during Soviet times.
Harmony Centre is backed by Latvia's large Russian minority, which makes up a third of the country's population.
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