The Ukrainian parliament passed a new law on first reading to enhance the status of the Russian language.

(Deutsche Welle Chinese) A little over a week ago (May 25), a discussion on making Russian a second official language sparked a brawl in the Ukrainian parliament. This Tuesday (June 5), the Ukrainian Supreme Parliament again debated the issue. Tensions were high between government supporters and opponents, and Speaker Lytvin abruptly adjourned the meeting after minutes. This followed an opposition attempt to boycott parliament.

After a 30-minute break, the vote began. Of the 250 members of parliament present, 234 voted in favor of making Russian a second official language in the first reading, eight more votes than needed to pass the bill. Opposition members who were not present later complained that they were unaware of the swift vote.

Opponents worry about a weakening of national identity.

Arsenij Jatzenjuk of the Change Front party was furious, and she said with great determination:

"The Ukrainians know the names of all those who betrayed Ukraine today, attempted to tear up the constitution, and brought Ukraine to the brink of collapse. We will not allow this law to pass in its second reading, and we will never allow a law to make Russian a second official language. We lost the first battle, but we will win this war!"

President Yanukovych pledged to make Russian a second official language before the 2010 election. Russian is widely spoken in eastern Ukraine and Crimea. Critics worry that the growing popularity of Russian will bring Ukraine closer to Russia and weaken Ukrainian national identity.

Supporters: We belong to the Slavic Republic

On June 5th, approximately 2,000 people, both supporting and opposing the draft law, held protests in front of parliament. Those in favor clearly constituted the majority. Many of them were supporters of ruling parties across the country. One demonstrator from Kyiv said:

"We are Russian-speaking Ukrainians, and we hope to make Russian our second official language. According to the EU's Common Language Charter, we have the right to speak our mother tongue. There's nothing wrong with being close to Russia. Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians share a common mindset. This won't put pressure on Ukrainians. We all belong to a Slavic republic and should unite."

The protests will continue.

This viewpoint has drawn strong backlash from opponents. One protester participating in an opposition demonstration said:

"This would destroy our national identity and is extremely dangerous for our country. In Ukraine, the Russian language is not suppressed; there has never been a ban on speaking Russian. Our authorities are a threat to the nation for Ukrainians. I support and endorse the resistance and actions of the youth."

Following the vote in Ukraine's Supreme Parliament, opponents of the draft law stormed an area near the parliament building. Security forces managed to control the situation. Police denied reports of using tear gas. The opposition announced further marches during the European Football Championship to protest the designation of Russian as a second official language.