Latvian Russian Union

Par Cilvēka Tiesībām Vienotā Latvijā (abbreviated PCTVL, For Human Rights in United Latvia) is a generally left-wing alliance of several political parties in Latvia, supported mainly by ethnic Russians and other non-Latvian minorities. Co-chairpersons of its Ruling Board are Tatjana Ždanoka, Jakovs Pliners and Jury Sokolovsky.

PCTVL emphasizes issues important to the Russian community. It supports Russian as a second official language in Latvia and requests to grant Latvian citizenship to all non-citizens of Latvia. It supports stronger ties with Russia and was the only major political organization to oppose Latvia's membership in NATO. Economic issues are less emphasized but PCTVL's economic positions tend to be left-wing.

PCTVL was established in May 1998 by three political parties: Tautas Saskaņas Partija (People's Harmony Party), Līdztiesība (Equal Rights) and Latvijas Sociālistiskā Partija (Socialist Party of Latvia), all of which were mainly supported by Russian-speaking voters. They won 16 out of 100 seats in 1998 elections and 25 seats in 2002 elections and municipal elections in 2001, winning 13 out of 60 seats in Riga city council. After the municipal elections, PCTVL became a part of Riga's city government and its member Sergejs Dolgopolovs became the vice-mayor of Riga. At the municipal elections in 2005 the party won 13.68% of the votes and 9 seats in the Riga city council.

During this period, PCTVL's most prominent leaders were Jānis Jurkāns, Alfrēds Rubiks and Tatjana Ždanoka. Rubiks and Ždanoka were previously prominent as the leaders of Latvian Communist Party and federalist movement in Latvia in early 1990s. They are fairly popular in the Russian community but very unpopular among ethnic Latvians. This is one of reasons of PCTVL remaining in the opposition nationally, because any other party could face a massive backlash from their ethnically Latvian voters if they entered into a coalition with Rubiks and Ždanoka.

PCTVL partially broke up in 2003. Tautas Saskaņas Partija was the first to leave the alliance and Latvijas Sociālistiskā Partija followed half a year later. The remnant of PCTVL had only 6 members of the Latvian parliament (out of 25 that the alliance had before the breakup) but, according to public opinion polls, 2004 European and 2005 municipal elections remained more popular than any of the parties that left the alliance. That's usually connected with the fact that ForHRUL was the main force, supporting Russian School Defense Staff activities in 2003-2005.

At the elections for the European Parliament PCTVL gained 10.66% of the vote and one seat by Tatjana Ždanoka who affiliates with the Greens/EFA grouping in the European Parliament [1]. It has also proposed the idea of a Europe-wide party of ethnic Russians. PCTVL supports a federal Europe, with a "common economical and political space from Lisbon to Vladivostok".

In the 2006 parliamentary elections PCTVL won 6 seats.

External links

• Official site — also in Russian and Latvian