Latvia Citizenship Rules May Change
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RIGA, Latvia — Latvians appeared to have narrowly approved controversial measures to ease citizenship requirements for the country’s hundreds of thousands of stateless Russians in a referendum Saturday.
Ethnic Russians make up 45% of the ex-Soviet republic’s 2.5 million people.
With votes in from 84% of the precincts, the changes were being approved by a 52-46 ratio.
The referendum is being held in conjunction with voting for Latvia’s 100-seat parliament.
Early results showed the center-right People’s Party leading with 26%. The conservative Latvia’s Way had 23%, followed by the Union of Social Democrats, Fatherland and Freedom, and the New Party.
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