The government has allowed non-Lithuanian spelling of names on the main page of ID documents, breaking the years-long impasse over the spelling of Polish names.
On Wednesday, the cabinet recommended allowing the use of the letters "q", "x" and "w", which do not exist in the Lithuanian alphabet, to spell the names of the country’s ethnic minorities and people married to foreign nationals.
Discussions on the original spelling of non-Lithuanian names in documents have been taking place for decades. All previous bills on the subject failed to muster enough votes to be passed by the parliament.
In one of the two bills registered in the Seimas, it would allow non-Lithuanian characters on the main page of one's passport, while the other bill would permit them on an additional page of the ID document.
The cabinet approved the Justice Ministry's proposal to back the first bill and reject the second one.
The parliament has yet to vote on both bills.
Justice Minister Evelina Dobrovolska notes that there are almost 400 Lithuanian citizens whose names have the letters "q", "x" or "w".
Currently, people who want to have their name spelled in the original form are forced to go to court, according to the minister.
"We need the decision as soon as possible, because people turn to courts, which means that we create additional workload for courts and punish our citizens with the process," she told BNS.
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