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Kolesnichenko: Criticism of language law in Europe a sign of interest in destabilizing Ukraine

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July 26, 2012, 7:18 p.m. | Politics — by Interfax-Ukraine

Deputies of the Ukrainian opposition fight with lawmaker Vadym Kolesnichenko (centre) of the pro-presidential majority during a session of parliament in Kyiv, as opposition parties protest a bill proposed by the ruling party which would make Russian an official state language along with Ukrainian on May 24, 2012.
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SEVASTOPOL - The negative position of EU High Commissioner on National Minorities Knut Vollebaek on the language law demonstrates the interest of European politicians in destabilizing the situation in Ukraine, a co-author of the law, Regions Party MP Vadym Kolesnichenko, has said.

"Yesterday, Mr. Knut Vollebaek spent only thirty minutes meeting with me. At the same time, he had already managed to meet with [chairman of the council of the Batkivschyna united opposition Arseniy] Yatseniuk and other new experts on the language issue. This negative position by Knut Vollebaek demonstrates that many European politicians are interested in destabilizing the situation in Ukraine," Kolesnichenko said.

He said he could not understand why Vollebaek has the courage to make comments on the bill, because the only expert body in this matter, which is recognized by the laws of Ukraine, is the Venice Commission. The Venice Commission, in turn, according to Kolesnichenko, made a positive assessment of the bill on principles of state language policy.

"It is interesting that all countries in which Vollebaek worked as a diplomat have faced inter-ethnic conflicts," he said.

Kolesnichenko also noted that the OSCE commissioner, during his visits to Ukraine, always has time to meet with Hungarians, Romanians and Tatars, rather than with the most numerous national minority in Ukraine - Russians.

"I was struck by Knut Vollebaek's remark that the bill is not financially secured. I told him that earlier Ukrainian citizens received any documents using their own money, and now, using their own money, they will get documents in their native language," he added.

"It's very strange to hear a statement by Yatseniuk that the right of Ukrainian citizens to use their native language has allegedly been violated. The point is that the European Parliament, the [Committee] of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the UN have quite a different opinion on this issue. The position of the abovementioned structures lies in the fact that the right of citizens in our country to use their native language are not secured," Kolesnichenko said.

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WalterB July 26, 2012, 9:56 p.m.    

Quote: He (He as in Kolesnichenko) said he could not understand why Vollebaek has the courage to make comments on the bill, because the only expert body in this matter, which is recognized by the laws of Ukraine, is the Venice Commission. The Venice Commission, in turn, according to Kolesnichenko, made a positive assessment of the bill on principles of state language policy

Really?

Here is an excerpt (and link) to the latest opinion on K-K's draft on the language issues.

....In its Opinion, the Venice Commission found that the draft was unbalanced, as its
provisions were disproportionately strengthening the position of the Russian language, without
taking appropriate measures to confirm the role of Ukrainian as the state language, and without
duly ensuring protection of other regional and minority languages. The Commission moreover
drew attention to some restrictions to the individual freedom to use the language of one’s
choice in private and social life.

http://www.venice.coe.int/docs/2011/CDL-AD(2011)047-e.pdf

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Boico July 26, 2012, 11:32 p.m.    

If European Union want to have opinion about the subject, should include Ukraine to the EU than we will gladly together look at that, but German, French, Spanish use own languages in formal documents and government sessions despite hundreds of minorities living in their country. If this is important to them it is important to us.

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AL BALA July 27, 2012, 12:16 a.m.    

Як боролися з українською мовою останні 100 років?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WzONZ4Wrko&feature=player_embedded

!

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AL BALA July 27, 2012, 12:39 a.m.    

How to fight with Ukrainian language. Chronicle of bans for 400 years :

http://www.istpravda.com.ua/digest/2012/07/3/89519/

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elmer-елмер July 27, 2012, 12:56 a.m.    

Kolesnichenko, a sovok mafia snake, and his fellow snakes, try to stir up a huge controversy with their language bill.

The EU says: "don't stir up constoversy."

Kolesnichenko, in typical upside down bizarro illogical sovok mafia fashion, then accuses the EU of --- stirring up controversy.

Every time Kolesnichenko gets on TV, he kak-as away in Rooshan.

Which he claims is "threatened."

It 's the same old kak-a garbaage from the sovok mafia, day after day after day after day...........................

Someone ought to put Kolesnichenko out of his misery - and out of Ukraine's misery.

seig heil
Governor Yanusvoloch, servant of Master Biker Lover Puterl.

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bernardh July 27, 2012, 12:11 p.m.    

That's right Elmer, Kolesnichenko is here combining two typical sovok mafia reflexes: always blame someone else for your own faults, and use a twisted "logic" that contradicts all rational reasoning. Other striking examples from Tymoshenko gas trial when Tymoshenko allegedly agreed to a bad contract in order to create a "positive image" of the government (normally a bad contract would create a negative image); or when the "judge" dismissed the defense witnesses, not because of factual evidence, but simply because they were contradicted by the prosecutor witnesses (who were political opponents of Tymoshenko). The ukrainian foreign minister typically also blames Tymoshenko for the collapse in the relations with EU, not the stalinist show trials (where he himself played a miserable role as prosecutor witness).

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carl July 27, 2012, 4:55 p.m.    

Elmer how can you call a dedicated public servant like Kolesnichenko a snake. That is over the top. If this bill becomes law Ukrainian remains sole state language.

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AL BALA July 27, 2012, 1:21 a.m.    

Education Minister Dmytro Tabachnyk has shown contempt for the “Little Russian” language and culture, a derogatory reference to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mykola Azarov was recently asked if he would pray with the Russian president for the glory of the Russian world, an ideological concept that has all Eastern Slavic or Russian-speaking regions subjugated to Moscow.

His answer: „I would gladly do so.”

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AL BALA July 27, 2012, 5:56 a.m.    

Harassment of the Russian language only see patients who are mentaly ill in the head - Kravchuk

!

Both Kivalov Kolesnichenko - the former president called an ignoramus.

!

http://tsn.ua/politika/utiski-rosiyskoyi-movi-bachat-tilki-hvori-na-golovu-kravchuk.html

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carl July 27, 2012, 5:01 p.m.    

Vollebaek is overstepping his authority. He can not address these issues as Ukraine is not an EU member. Kiev must be firm in rejecting bully tactics by EU.

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James Kleinbrook July 29, 2012, 4:13 a.m.    

I believe that the ukrainian language is the origin of all sound and I believe that Noam Chomsky would agree, I think that Vlady needs a refresher course in slav history and linguistics.

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