BRATISLAVA, May 26, (WEBNOVINY) — Chairman of the ruling coalition party MOST-HID Bela Bugar opines that parliament’s approval of the revision to the law on the use of minority languages is good news. “It is a reasonable compromise – we wanted much more, colleagues wanted much less, but it is a step forward. I can congratulate Slovakia on having such law,” said Bugar to journalists after the revision’s approval on Wednesday evening. He believes that the revision’s approval will bolster stability of the legal system towards minorities and hence democracy in Slovakia.
Nevertheless, Bugar expects President Ivan Gasparovic will return the revision to parliament for further discussion. “I do not want to say that I will bet on it but I assume so. Based on my personal experience with the president I can assume that he will send the bill back to parliament,” he declared. He is therefore pleased that 78 deputies voted for the revision which gives reasons to assume that an eventual presidential veto would be overturned. A total of 76 deputies would have to back the revision to break president’s veto.
Bugar finds reducing the quorum for minority language use in official communication from 20 percent to 15 percent to be the most important item of bill’s new wording adding that wining the multi-lingual status will be much simpler for the municipality than losing it. He underscored that extension of rights to use a minority language will in no way pose a threat to the majority nation as the opposition claimed. “That was nothing but a lie, which we can prove,” he empathized.
Deputy Prime Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Rudolf Chmel (MOST-HID) stated that the parliament passed the revision with votes of 78 coalition deputies and should President Ivan Gasparovic sign the revised bill, it should take effect in July 1, 2011.
SITA