PM: The Name Spelling Act this autumn

The Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius expressed a hope that the act concerning the spelling of non-Lithuanian names will be passed this autumn, after a prior linguists’ opinion.

The politician informed about this in Soleczniki where he participated in a conference. According to the PM the project of the act on original spelling of names based on the Latin alphabet is going to be passed by the Parliament. The linguists’ opinion will be required before the final voting. “As far as the coalition partners have informed me I know that the project will receive support. It may not be unanimous. After presentation the project will be sent to the Commission of the Lithuanian Language. We will await their opinion. I hope that the act will be passed this autumn” emphasised the PM.

In February the Constitutional Court ruled that on the basis of the linguists’ proposal the Parliament can change the rules so as the first and last names would be written not only with the use of the letters in the Lithuanian alphabet.

The Constitutional Court ruled that the Parliament, when changing the name writing procedure, should receive clear-cut instructions and interpretation from the linguists. The linguists’ opinion cannot be taken into consideration by the Parliament.