Ukraine: A better compromise

[Harold Schiffman]

A better compromise

by Editorial , Kyiv Post
Mar 06 2008, 00:16

Let's not deny the obvious: the Ukrainian government is leading a
Ukrainization campaign. With the exception of the Autonomous Republic of
Crimea, most schools now teach exclusively in the Ukrainian language. Court
procedures and documents are also in Ukrainian. The main issue is whether
the population supports Ukrainization. Judging by the recent elections and
subsequent events, a majority of Ukrainians support, or at least don't
oppose, Ukrainization, while a strong minority in eastern and southern
regions is directly opposed. This became apparent in Siverskodonetsk this
past weekend, where more than 4,000 supporters of the Russian language and
culture came to voice their discontent.

Their numbers lend validity to their arguments, as well as the popularity of
Russian-oriented parties. Imposing a language upon a large minority
population is a foolish policy. It's equally short-sighted to allow the
Party of Regions of Ukraine to gain so many votes from exploiting the
language issue. A better compromise is needed. The government should issue
documents in both the Russian and Ukrainian languages in the Russophile
regions. Courts should continue allowing judges, plaintiffs and defendants
to express themselves in Russian.

Decades of academic wealth and technical texts, acquired with the Russian
language, should still be used and accessible. Though instruction should
remain in Ukrainian at state educational institutions, students should have
adequate Russian-language instruction to command their preferred language.
Television can remain Ukrainian, but local cinemas need autonomy. More such
compromises will remove the contentious language issue from the political
arena will allow lawmakers to expend their energies on more pressing
matters, such as health care, education and the economy.

http://www.kyivpost.com/opinion/editorial/28533/

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