Olekas: Minorities have to feel like valuable citizens

“Program of the new government will include a lot of points concerning solutions for problems which minorities in Lithuania experience” – stated Juozas Olekas, vice-president of the Social Democratic Party during his interview for “Znad Wilii” radio.

In the new governmental program there is a chapter dedicated to minorities in which there is a mention of a new act about minorities and other problems they may encounter.

The new government is willing to postpone the date of implementing unified matriculation in Lithuanian so that the students have more time for preparing and getting used to changed. In regard to that matter there was no discussions between the coalition partners” – emphasized politician.

Olekas stated that the double street naming is practiced in Poland, Italy or other countries so there is a need to change n act about Lithuanian as well so minorities can feel valuable citizens of Lithuania.

“It is really important to have a possibility to communicate in the mother tongue. Last year I went biking with my family and in Šalčininkai my daughter had an accident. She fell off the bicycle, we thought she broke her hand so we had to go to the doctor. There were some problems, though, as we were not able to communicate with the doctors in Lithuanian” – Olekas is telling.

Juozas Olekas thinks that original spelling of the names should be allowed. However, this should be not on the first page of the passport but on the next ones.

Source: http://pl.delfi.lt/aktualia/litwa/olekas-mniejszosci-narodowe-musza-poczuc-sie-pelnowartosciowymi-obywatelami.d?id=60083495

Tłumaczenie Joanna Maria Wilk w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Joanna Maria Wilk the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.