Harmony Centre
| Harmony Centre Latvian: Saskaņas Centrs Russian: Центр Cогласия |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Leader | Nils Ušakovs |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Riga |
| Ideology | Social democracy, Socialism, Democratic Socialism[1] Russian minority politics |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| National affiliation | Social Democratic Party "Harmony", Socialist Party of Latvia |
| International affiliation | None |
| European affiliation | None |
| European Parliament Group | European United Left–Nordic Green Left (LSP) |
| Official colours | Maroon, White |
| Saeima |
31 / 100
|
| European Parliament |
2 / 8
|
| Website | |
| http://www.saskanascentrs.lv | |
| Politics of Latvia Political parties Elections |
|
Harmony Centre (abbreviated SC and ЦC; Latvian: Saskaņas Centrs, Russian: Центр Cогласия) is a political alliance in Latvia. It was formed in 2005 and its member parties are the Social Democratic Party "Harmony" and the Socialist Party of Latvia (the Social Democratic Party "Harmony" was formed in 2010 when the National Harmony Party, the Social Democratic Party, the New Centre and later on the Daugavpils City Party merged with each other). Journalist Nils Ušakovs has been chairman since Autumn 2005 (the first chairman was Riga city councillor and head of the NC Sergejs Dolgopolovs).
In the 2006 parliamentary election, the party got 14.42 % (130,887 votes) and won 17 of the 100 seats. It became the fourth largest party in Parliament and the second largest opposition party.
In January 2009, the Social Democratic Union (Latvian: Sociāldemokrātu savienība, abbreviated SDS) joined the alliance.[2]
In the 2009 European Parliament Election, Harmony Centre was the second most voted party in Latvia. The party received 19.57% (154,894 votes) and won 2 of the 8 MEPs seats.[3]
In the 2010 parliamentary election, Harmony Centre became the second Latvian political force and the first largest opposition alliance in the Parliament. It received 26.04% (251,397 votes) and won 29 of the 100 seats. In the 2011 parliamentary election, Harmony Centre obtained the largest number of votes (28.36%) and seats (31 of the 100 seats).
[edit] Political positions
Although Harmony Centre claimed[citation needed] to be "the only political party in Latvia in which ethnic Latvians and Russian-speakers work together",[4] almost all of Harmony Centre's members of parliament come from the Russian-speaking community of Latvia. Harmony Centre supports increased role for Russian language in education and public administration. It also supports changes in Latvian citizenship so that it would be awarded to a large number of non-citizens. Economically, Harmony Centre supports increased social spending, in order to boost the economy and increase the general welfare.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.parties-and-elections.de/latvia.html. Parties-and-elections.de. Retrieved on 19 September 2011.
- ^ Politisko partiju apvienība "Saskaņas Centrs". Saskanascentrs.lv. Retrieved on 19 September 2011.
- ^ Latvian Central Election Commission 9 June 2009. Velesanas2009.cvk.lv. Retrieved on 19 September 2011.
- ^ Note: A new Jaunlatvija party claims cooperation of Latvians and non-Latvians as well
[edit] External links
- www.saskanascentrs.lv (Russian) (Latvian)
|
||||||||||||||
