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Ukraine rejects proposals to cancel voting results on language law

After the parliament approved the law on July 3 Litvin filed in resignation

KIEV, July 30 (Itar-Tass) — The Ukrainian parliament has rejected proposals of the opposition to cancel the voting results on the law, “On the Fundamentals of the State Language Policy”.

At present, speaker Vladimir Litvin shall sign the law, which has been signed in the beginning of July, and submit it to the president. Under the document, after the law comes into effect, the Russian language will be granted the regional status in 13 regions of the country.

After the parliament approved the law on July 3 Litvin filed in resignation. The parliament moved a vote of confidence in speaker Vladimir Litvin. A total of 266 parliamentarians with the required minimum of 226 votes voted for this decision at the extraordinary session on Monday.

“The Verkhovnaya Rada speaker shall the law on the fundamentals of the language policy,” head of the Party of Regions faction Alexander Yefremov said referring to the law. In his words, “there are no obstacles for signing the law.”

However, Litvin left the parliament’s hall and the session is led by his first deputy Adam Martynyuk.

Speaker Litvin said in the beginning of July that he intended to resign after parliamentarians approved the scandal “language” law by-passing the rules. The procedure was led by first deputy speaker Adam Martynyuk of the Communist Party. After the law comes into effect, the Russian language will be granted the status of regional language in 13 regions out of 27 regions of the country. Till now the law has not been signed by the parliament’s leadership and not submitted to the president for signing due to mass protest actions by nationalists.

The opposition is absent at the debates, but several representatives come against the agenda, including on approving the language law and the ratification of the free trade zone treaty with the CIS.

About 3,000 supporters of the opposition and its leaders have gathered near the building of the parliament.