Protest in front of the Constitutional Court: PSRM supporters do not agree with the introduction of the phrase "Romanian language" in the country's legislation. PAS reaction
Supporters of the Party of Socialists of Moldova (PSRM), led by the party's deputies, are organising a protest in front of the Constitutional Court. They are unhappy with the law voted last week in first reading, which provides for the replacement of the terms "Moldovan language", "official language", "state language" and "mother tongue" with Romanian. On the other hand, a group of people are organising a counter-protest in support of the draft. However, PAS spokeswoman Adriana Vlas told Moldova1.md that the parliamentary majority will vote on the bill in the second reading.
PCRM leader Vladimir Voronin is also taking part in the event.
"All those who violate the Constitution today will be held accountable. Apart from voting in Parliament to amend the Constitution, changing the name of the language, they must hold a national referendum. Every citizen must vote. The Moldovan state was created 440 years earlier than the Romanian state."
Protesters chant "we are Moldovans", "down with the government" and that the language spoken is "Moldovan".
"If they adopt the second reading, we will be here at the Constitutional Court to defend the Moldovan language. We live in a state governed by the rule of law and in the state governed by the rule of law, the Republic of Moldova, procedures must be respected," said PSRM MP Vasile Bolea.
Contacted for a reaction, Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) spokeswoman Adriana Vlas said that "the socialists have found yet another tool to divide us and destabilise the situation in the country - the language we speak. In these complicated times, instead of uniting society, they are playing into the hands of the Russian Federation," Adriana Vlas said.
According to her, the draft on the Romanian language is long awaited by our society and the parliamentary majority will resolutely vote for this draft in the second reading.
"It is a project that we will vote for in the second reading. It is a draft that finally does justice to the Romanian language and to the citizens of this country", concluded the PAS spokeswoman.
Throughout Moldovan legislation, the phrase "Romanian language" will replace "Moldovan language". The phrases "official language", "state language" and "mother tongue" will also be replaced. A draft providing for this was voted in first reading on 2 March. MEPs also propose to consider the obsolete text "operating on the basis of the Latin spelling" in Article 13 of the Constitution.
The document also provides that the national holiday "Our Language", as it is currently called in the Parliament's decision on commemorative days, public holidays and days of rest and in the Labour Code, should be called "Romanian Language".
"This legislative initiative is not an ordinary initiative to amend the Constitution, but a technical one, resulting from the obligation to execute and/or implement the acts of the Constitutional Court", added MP Veronica Rosca, one of the authors of the project.
The bill was voted in first reading by 56 PAS MEPs.
