Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn has said that he intends to sign the bill on the principles of state language policy, which greatly expands the use of the Russian language, in the next few days.
“Based on the logic of the law [on the regulations of the
parliament], I should have [signed the language law] yesterday,” Lytvyn
said at a briefing on Tuesday, when asked whether he would sign the bill
on the principles of the state language policy.
“It will apparently happen in the coming days,” the speaker said when asked when he would sign the document.
Lytvyn said that according to the parliament’s regulations, if the
proposal to revoke the bill as well as the amendments to the bill put
forward by the speaker are voted down, he is obliged to sign the
document immediately and send it to president for signing.
“I am simply obliged to sign this bill,” Lytvyn said.
On July 3, the Verkhovna Rada passed with 248 votes the bill on the
principles of the state language policy, which significantly broadens
the use of Russian language. This prompted protests all over Ukraine.
Lytvyn refused to sign the bill, and without the speaker’s signature,
the document cannot be sent to the president for signature. Besides,
Lytvyn and his deputy Mykola Tomenko tendered their resignations, but
parliamentarians refused to accept them.
At an extraordinary meeting on Monday, Ukraine’s parliament refused
to amend the bill on principles of state language policy according to
proposals of the Verkhovna Rada chairman. Neither, did it support any of
the four draft proposals against the adoption of the bill.
The Verkhovna Rada also rejected Lytvyn’s resignation on Monday.
