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PSRM to propose again bill on functioning of spoken languages


https://www.ipn.md/en/psrm-to-propose-again-bill-on-functioning-of-spoken-languages-7965_1079202.html

The MPs of the Party of Socialists (PSRM) said they will introduce again into Parliament a bill on the functioning of the languages spoken on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. After the relevant law was declared unconstitutional, the Socialists said harsh reactions will follow. A protest will be mounted in front of the Constitutional Court (CC) next week, IPN reports.

In a news conference, MP Vlad Batrîncea said the PSRM is profoundly indignant at the CC’s judgment. “I repeat, we will not allow the Court to substitute the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, which is the superior representative body in this country. We will not allow a group of citizens to decide instead of the whole Parliament. Secondly, we will evidently resort to a number of measures and events designed to restore the rule of law, to Parliament statements and other actions,” stated Vlad Batrîncea.

“Our bill clearly provided that besides the official language, there is also the Russian language that is the language of communication of a large part of the population, at least one third of it, and it does not violate somehow the rights of the people who speak the official language.”

In the same news conference held at the PSRM’s head office, outgoing Minister of Justice Fadei Nagachevski said the law on the functioning of the languages spoken on the territory of the Republic of Moldova was an approach made by Parliament to ensure the protection of the basic human rights. The goal of this law was to guarantee the right of access to information, to ensure the people can officially communicate with the authorities in the language they know, the access to justice. “If such a law is absent, a series of fundamental guarantees are violated,” stated Fadei Nagachevski. He also said that he will inform the development partners and the diplomatic missions about the Government’s position on the created situation and the risks of destabilization of the situation.

On January 21, the Constitutional Court decided that the law on the functioning of languages on the territory of the Republic of Moldova is unconstitutional. The law was adopted by the votes of the MPs of the Party of Socialists and of the For Moldova Platform, which includes the MPs of the Shor Party, on December 16, 2020. The CC judgment says the Russian language is mentioned in the Constitution as an example and this does not offer this language in the Republic of Moldova a status different from that of other languages spoken in Moldova, such as Ukrainian, Gagauz, Bulgarian, Romany etc.