Ukrainian Parliament Rejects Opposition Proposals On Language Bill

A rally "in defense of language" in front of parliament in Kyiv on July 30.

The Ukrainian parliament has rejected four opposition proposals to amend a controversial draft language bill that would give Russian the status of an official language in the country's Russian-dominated regions.

Earlier on , 257 lawmakers in the 450-seat Verkhovna Rada voted to revise the law, which was originally passed early in July.

The fate of the bill remains unclear, with parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn refusing to sign it.

Lawmakers on July 30 rejected Lytvyn's request to step down as speaker.

Lytvyn had asked parliament to free him from his duties as part of a protest against the language legislation.

The bill's adoption on July 3 led to scuffles among lawmakers and mass protests in Kyiv and other cities.

Based on reporting by UNIAN and Interfax