[lg policy] Ukrainian World Congress Appealing For Rada To Reject Language Policy Bill

[Harold Schiffman]

Ukrainian World Congress Appealing For Rada To Reject Language Policy Bill
(09:55, Tuesday, June 5, 2012)

Ukrainian News Agency

Ukrainian World Congress, an international non-government
organization, is appealing for the Verkhovna Rada to reject draft law
No.9073, Concerning the Principles of the State Language Policy, reads
a statement made by the organization.

"Ukrainian World Congress calls upon Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada to
immediately end further debate on the anti-constitutional draft law on
principles of the state language policy," the statement says.

The organization alleges, the bill is yet another attempt to legalize
the status of Russian as a regional language in Ukraine and, on this
basis, to allow its official use on a par with, or instead of, the
state language at all levels of the government administration of
Ukraine, and in education and other spheres of community life.

Ukrainian World Congress opines, this draft law contradicts the
Constitution of Ukraine, and the European Charter for Regional or
Minority Languages and the Framework Convention for the Protection of
National Minorities, which provide that regional languages and the
languages of minorities should not be promoted at the expense of the
state language.

"...this Draft Law poses a serious threat to the future development of
the Ukrainian language and raises doubts about its role as the sole
state language of Ukraine," the statement underlines.

The organization thinks that consideration of this bill will spark
sever strife and deep tension in the Ukrainian community.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the Parliament will continue
consideration of the draft law No.9073 on June 5-8.

The Rada viewed it on May 24 but did not put to vote.

The Parliament session was closed because of the MPs scuffling with
each other: the opposition broke into the presidium to prevent
adoption of this bill.

On August 26, 2011 the Verkhovna Rada registered draft law No.9073 on
principles of national language policy (draftsmen MPs Serhii Kivalov
and Vadym Kolesnychenko from the Party of Regions). It envisages
official use of regional languages in the work of local bodies of
power, if at least 10% of the inhabitants are the language native
speakers.

http://un.ua/eng/article/394313.html




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