Belarusian opposition urges authorities to restrict broadcasting of Russian channels
The opposition party Belarusian Popular Front or BPF adopted a statement at a party’s meeting that demands that the authorities restrict broadcasting of Russian TV channels and replace them with programs of local production or a balanced set of foreign television programs from other countries, Interfax report.
The BPF declared 2019 the Year of the Belarusian language, calling it "an important factor of national security" in the face of "information attacks against Belarus." “We call on all citizens of the republic to study the Belarusian language and improve their proficiency and to use it everywhere, to initiate the establishment of Belarusian groups and movements in educational institutions of different levels,” the party stated.
The BPF urged all Belarusians to specify the Belarusian language as their mother tongue and the home language of everyday communication during a population census in October 2019. Belarusian businesses and every producer of goods and services are encouraged to use the native language in advertising campaigns, in packaging of goods, and in communication with customers.
In addition, the party called on the authorities to adopt acts of legislation in the Belarusian language and called for increasing the use of the language in the education system. The party reiterated that from January 1, 2019, all Internet sites of state bodies, enterprises and organizations of the republic should have Belarusian versions and stated that they would “closely monitor the implementation of this norm of legislation.”
Earlier, the Constitutional Court of Belarus expressed the need to pass new laws on the use of Russian and Belarusian languages.