Proposal to change 4 letters in the Uzbek alphabet
The Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis has adopted a draft law aimed at updating the Latin-based Uzbek alphabet.
According to the draft, the current 26 letters and 3 letter combinations may be replaced by an alphabet consisting of 28 letters and one apostrophe.
Which letters will change?
The draft law proposes updating the writing of several letters:
G‘ g‘ → Ğ ğ
O‘ o‘ → Ö ö
Sh sh → Ş ş
Ch ch → Ç ç
It is also proposed to remove the ng letter combination from the alphabet.
If the draft enters into force, the Uzbek Latin alphabet will consist of 28 letters and one apostrophe.
The changes have not yet come into effect
The draft law has been adopted by the deputies of the Legislative Chamber and sent to the Senate.
For the changes to take effect:
The Senate must approve the law;
The President must sign it;
The law must be officially published.
Therefore, the current alphabet remains in effect for now.
No public discussion held
It is noted that the draft law was not submitted for public discussion.
Furthermore, the initial official statement from the Legislative Chamber did not specify exactly which letters would change. The plenary session was broadcast only via the parliament's website, and there was no option to re-watch the broadcast later.
The Legislative Chamber's decision to stop live-streaming meetings on YouTube is also causing debate.
The new alphabet will be introduced gradually
According to parliamentary information, the changes are planned to be implemented in stages rather than in a single day.
Documents, national currency, and securities issued before the law comes into effect will remain valid.
Also, in state agencies:
forms;
signs;
indicators;
symbolic signs;
other material attributes
may be used without changes until a specified deadline.
Aiming to reduce additional costs
Parliament states that a gradual transition eliminates the need to replace all documents and signs in state organizations simultaneously.
This is expected to prevent significant additional expenditures from the budget.
The future of the project now depends on the decisions of the Senate and the President. However, the proposed changes have already sparked intense public discussion.
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