Ukraine parliament should debate question on language policy

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Ukraine parliament should debate question on language policy

03.10.2006, 12.25

KIEV, October 3 (Itar-Tass) - Yevgeny Kushnarev, a leader of the Party of
Regions and a member of the Ukrainian parliament, said that rights of
Russian-speaking citizens are violated in the republic. The rights of
Russian-speaking citizens are consistently trampled underfoot in the
sphere of education, in the information sphere and in opportunities of
getting jobs at state bodies of power, noted Kushnarev whose statement is
quoted on Tuesday by the press service of the Party of Regions, headed by
premier Viktor Yanukovich. In response to a proposal by deputies of the
Yulia Timoshenko bloc to adopt a special statement by the Ukrainian
parliament, denouncing interference of the Russian State Duma in Ukraines
domestic affairs (in connection with the statement on discrimination of
the Russian language), Kushnarev said that the legislature should submit
as soon as possible, after a painstaking examination and preparation, the
question on Ukraines language policy for the consideration of parliament.

At long last, it is necessary to adopt a law which would guarantee, not in
words, but in deeds, the development of the Ukrainian language as the
state tongue, and equally a free use of the Russian language as well as
other languages of national minorities, Kushnarev emphasized. In the
deputys words, according to the latest census, nearly 30 percent of
population in Ukraine (more than 14 million) regard the Russian language
as their native tongue. I claim with all responsibility that the
constitutional norm with respect to free development and use of the
Russian language in Ukraine is not implemented anywhere, the legislator
said, adding that he would not permit to hush-hush this topic with any
false statements.

http://www.tass.ru/eng/level2.html?NewsID=10849310&PageNum=0

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