I just looked through the party platforms, but a fat lot of good that did. I realized at least that the "Greens and Farmers" are not only nationalists, but also anti-science obscurantists. The rest of the parties are either nationalists, or their members have been in politics forever, which isn't much joy either.
By the way, this is roughly how I pictured it all, just like in this article
In the end, I'm voting for Harmony Centre. Not because it's a super option, but because Cilevičs is there, whom I quite like (unfortunately, he's only on the Riga list), and I know very little about the other parties.
ZaPCHEL isn't bad either, but I'm not really all that bothered about super-radical improvements to the lives of Russian speakers and all that. Especially since ZaPCHEL, even if they make it in, will still get very few seats anyway. Tatjana Ždanoka is a nice lady, but at this point you have to choose. Plus, ZaPCHEL's rhetoric just rubs me the wrong way, it's way too sloganeering and aimed at Russian-speaking proletarians.
I highly doubt our choice will massively change the country's fate, but at least the nats won't be in power, and neither will the ones who have already been there. With any luck, at least some Russian dough will flow our way, since HC declares that business with Russia needs to be simplified and increased.
If the coalition, by the way, ends up being with Unity - it's not the worst option. As I understand it, Unity is for a liberal approach - meaning they're against church obscurantists, religion lessons in schools, and hypocritical prohibitive "morals". This, of course, won't save us from economic collapse, but at least sinking won't feel quite as miserable.
And from the HC list in Latgale, they say you gotta cross out Burunov, supposedly he steals a lot.