Angered over proposed legislation to liberalize access to abortion, leaders from Latvia's four major religions refused Saturday to preside over a religious ceremony opening the country's independence day celebrations.
Archbishops from the Lutheran, Catholic, Russian Orthodox and Old Believer churches also said Latvia's government was not eager to fight corruption within its ranks and was slow to react to reports of sexual abuse of children.
"This year I feel deeply sad and ashamed today of our country and it would be extremely difficult for me to head the official service as if everything was in the best order," Lutheran Archbishop Janis Vanags wrote to the Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga.
The editor-in-chief of the Baltic News Service in Latvia said the action of the church leaders was unprecedented.
"I can't remember anything like this. They've never tried to influence politics so openly before," Sanita Jemberga told AFP.
The religious leaders' refusal to lead the nationally televised ecumenical service was another point of controversy in what has become a tense few days leading up to the country's independence day.
On Friday three Russian nationals, members of the communist extremist group the National Bolsheviks, briefly occupied the tower of a 13th century church in Riga's medieval Old Town and threatened to blow it up unless four compatriots were released from police custody and Latvia abandon its bid to join NATO.
The mood in Riga remained tense Saturday morning with armed military personnel policing the city center ahead of a public speech later Saturday by Vike-Freiberga.
Police said on Friday they expected more incidents from the National Bolsheviks, who have vehemently criticized Latvia over the country's treatment of its ethnic-Russian minority, which account for about one-third of the Baltic country's 2.4 million people -- RIGA (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
