NEWS ITEM: On July 3, Ukraine’s parliament passed language policy that is set to expand the sphere of use of Russian language in Ukraine. The bill was adopted by 248 votes, most from the ruling pro-presidential Party of Regions. “What a nice trick we’ve played on them [opposition]. They’ve been fooled. I have no idea what they are they going to do during elections,” Mykhailo Chechetov, a Party of Regions member said with pride after the end of parliament’s session. Ukraine’s parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn resigned a day later, refusing to sign the bill that he opposes. However, 19 out of 20 lawmakers in his People’s Party faction helped adopt the bill.
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