Latvia
OSCE mission monitoring the 2006 parliamentary elections mentioned that
| “ | Approximately 400,000 people in Latvia, some 18 per cent of the total population, have not obtained Latvian or any other citizenship and therefore still have the status of “non-citizens.” In the vast majority, these are persons who migrated to Latvia from within the former Soviet Union, and their descendants. Non-citizens do not have the right to vote in any Latvian elections, although they can join political parties. To obtain citizenship, these persons must go through a naturalization process, which over 50,000 persons have done since the 2002 Saeima election. The fact that a significant percentage of the adult population does not enjoy voting rights represents a continuing democracy deficit. | ” |
In its previous report in 2002, OSCE/ODIHR mission has claimed that
| “ | Involving non-citizens in local decision-making could represent a first and tangible step toward eliminating the current democratic deficit | ” |
As of 2011, non-citizens of Latvia have no voting rights not only at parliamentary, but also at local and European elections (citizens of other EU member states can vote in these elections).
Read more about this topic: Democratic Deficit