How Do You Get 80,000 First Preference Votes?

LATVIA: until 1991 a Soviet Republic
CAPITAL: Riga
POPULATION: 2.3 million
LATVIAN SPEAKING: 56%
RUSSIAN SPEAKING: 44%
Only Latvian is recognized as a state language while 18% of the population have no citizen’s rights
In 2003 a monument to the SS Division was erected in Lesten city
NATO member since 2004 – with troops in Iraq
Communist Party is forbidden
Lowest living standard in the European Union

Latvia now is the only European country where the government’s ministers personally open up a monument in honour of the NAZI SS Tank Detachment. More than that, the Latvian state even had given $40,000 of taxpayers’ money for the construction of this monument. In this country life is very difficult for Marxists. But, despite all of this, one of them had managed to receive 80,000 votes in the previous election. How did he do that?

Q: Alexander Golubov –In October you were elected into the Latvian national parliament. From which party?

A: From the Socialist Party. We have created a unified bond from 4 parties and received 14% of the votes and 17 seats. Of these, 4 seats are held by the Socialist Party.

Q: What is your occupation?

A: I am a Doctor – I still my patients once per week.

Q: When were you elected for the first time?

A: In 1995, but the conditions were very difficult. The Communist Party was forbidden in 1991, during the dismemberment of the USSR. The Chairman of the party Alfreds Rubiks was detained and a trial over 4-6 years was going on for his liberation. In 1994 from his prison cell, he organized the Latvian Socialist Party. The very next year I was already on the election list and elected right away and now for the fourth time.

Q: You stood up for the housing rights?

A: In 1940 the apartment blocks and high-rise apartment buildings were nationalized. In 1991 the former owners of these properties were given them back. Rents went up, and the speculation in selling and buying. Often they were sold for 1/10 of their value and then they fell into the hands of the speculators.

Q: You also demanded voting rights for everyone?

A: According to the present Latvian Citizenship Law of 1991, all people who were not born in Latvia in 1940 or not their descendents, have no citizen rights. That means that over 400,000 inhabitants of Latvia have no right to vote, cannot be employed by the state, and they are discriminated from all sides. But they still have to pay their taxes. The Communist Party was banned and former members of the party cannot run for office.

Q: There was a NATO meeting last November in Riga, What did you do then?

A: We demanded that Latvia leave NATO, but any protest in Riga was forbidden, you were not even allowed to walk on the streets of Riga. You had to have on your ID on you if you want to get back into your home. The police and the army filled the streets all in black.

Q: Who is V. Latsis? Why did you campaign against him?

A: He is a known Waffen SS soldier and fought on the side of Hitler and publishes books and leaflets praising Hitler and the "heroic" deeds of the Nazi German SS. His organization was declared a criminal organization by the Nuremberg Tribunal. But he was elected a Member of Parliament from the Party of Greens and Farmers.

Q: The Socialist Party of Latvia adopted a resolution to celebrate the 90^th Anniversary of the October Revolution. It is brave thing to say openly in Latvia now. How will it get perceived?

A: We know that we will be attacked for this, but we shall not abandon our principles. We know how life was like during Soviet tines.

Q: How did you personally manage to get 80,000 votes?

A: Our personal meetings are the method of getting our message across to the people. We announce out meetings through distribution of pamphlets and there is a discussion with input from the people on all questions. Our platform has –citizenship rights for everyone, higher living standards, right of housing and higher pensions. Since advertising on radio, TV and press is expensive, that is why we got together the 4 parties in a closely related bond.