Verkhovna Rada Speaker: Laws on Ukrainian Church, language and decommunization won't be repealed

The laws on decommunization, on securing the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state language and on the activities of Churches will not be abolished under any circumstances.

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Andriy Parubiy reiterated it in response to the statement of an MP from the Opposition Bloc, Oleksandr Dolzhenkov, UKRINFORM reports.

“I must disappoint you: neither the law on language, nor those on decommunization and the Ukrainian Church will be repealed. There is no way for you to do it by any means,” the Speaker said.

Previously, Dolzhenkov said that the government had not done anything to improve the welfare of people, and instead proposed laws involving forced Ukrainization and intervention in church affairs.

"The Opposition Bloc insists on abolishing these shameful laws on decommunization, on forced Ukrainization, as well as those laws that provide for state intervention in religious affairs,” Dolzhenkov said.

As it was reported, on December 10, 2018, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the law “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On freedom of conscience and religious organizations” regarding the name of religious organizations (associations) incorporated in the structure (making part) of a religious organization (association) with the governing center located outside Ukraine in the country, which is recognized by law as waging military aggression against Ukraine and/or temporarily occupied part of the territory of Ukraine”.

According to this law, the UOC-Moscow Patriarchate had to change its name to the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine, but the legal advisers of the Moscow Patriarchate impede the adoption of the law, causing delays in the case in court.