Speak more Belarusian, ex-top judge tells MPs

The former Prosecutor General and ex-head of the Constitutional Court, dean of the BSU Constitutional Law daculty Ryhor Vasilevich suggested introducing a Belarusian language examination for public servants. He made a speech for MPs at a round-table discussion of the legislation in Belarusian on Thursday. The meeting was initiated by MP and head of the Belarusian Language Society Alena Anisim. Up to 50 people took part in the round-table discussion – deputies, representatives of the Ministry of Justice, well-known linguist Alyaksandr Lukashanets, former chairperson of the Belarusian Language Society and rector of Nil Hilevich National University Aleh Trusau.

“There are no legal obstacles to having the legislation in the both state languages,” Vasilevich said. Officials and MPs should just stick to two laws: on languages and on public servants having a good command of the both state languages.Public servants are not observing these laws at the moment, Ryhor Vasilevich said.

Ryhor Vasilevich also suggested that MPs spoke more Belarusian at sessions. They could at least alternate Russian-language and Belarusian-language sessions. It would help preserve the language parity, the speaker noted. He also thinks that the law should state that judges and prosecutors must have a good command of Belarusian.