The Parliament of Kyrgyzstan in the first reading adopted the language of the state language. It is aimed at establishing the legal framework for the use of the state language and the implementation of language policy.
According to the new law, the Kyrgyz language will become a working language for state bodies. 75% of MPs voted for this. The current version of the law states that the government of Kyrgyzstan must work "in the state language, and, if necessary, in the official language." The proposed draft law states that “the working language of public authorities, local self-government bodies, state enterprises, institutions and organizations is the state language. <…> In the work of non-governmental organizations, the state language is used, and, if necessary, other languages can be used.”
In addition, the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan is proposed to give the right to approve the Kyrgyz alphabet and orthoepy rules. Toponymic names are proposed to be drawn up in the state language and transmitted in official documents and the media using transliteration.
Despite the majority of votes in favor, some deputies were in favor of a bilingual system. Thus, deputy Dastan Bekeshev suggested leaving them for educational institutions: “Sometimes people from Bishkek and the regions turn to me with the words that their child needs to be educated in Russian. And representatives of other nations sometimes ask the opposite – that their children study in Kyrgyz. Therefore, I propose to make the training bilingual. Let them study in whatever language is convenient for them.”
The three most popular native languages in Kyrgyzstan are Kyrgyz, Uzbek and Russian. The Russian language in the republic has the status of an official language. It is spoken by about half of the population.