KIEV, July 9 – Opposition groups – saying they have intercepted information that lawmakers may be asked to hold an emergency session to secure signing of a controversial language bill - plan a massive rally in front of Parliament July 31.

Parliament went on a summer recess on July 6, leaving uncertain the fate of the bill that may introduce Russian as a de-facto second state language in many Ukrainian regions.

Parliamentary Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn refused to sign the bill, preventing it from reaching President Viktor Yanukovych, who needs to sign it for the legislation to come in effect.

The bill is fiercely opposed by opposition groups amid fears it widens a split between Ukrainian regions and weakens the country, increasing Russia’s influence over parts of Ukraine.

“We know there will be the emergency session on July 31,” Arseniy Yatseniuk, the leader of the united opposition group, Batkivshchyna, said an interview wit TVi. “That’s why we have to get together on July 31.”

The comment suggests a likely timeframe for the next major escalation of standoff between pro-government groups and opposition parties with potential clashes on the streets.

The clash last week between riot police and protesters, led by opposition parties, has triggered a political crisis in Ukraine with Lytvyn refusing to sign the bill and submitting his resignation. Parliament rejected Lytvyn’s resignation on Friday, but the issue remains still unresolved.

The crisis forced Yanukovych to postpone his annual press conference and to hold an emergency meeting with political groups, discussing ways to solve the crisis, including the possibility of early parliamentary elections.

Yatseniuk, who led the protest in front of the Ukraine House in downtown Kiev, said the protesters scored an important victory.

“We had a political mission to protect and to prevent the possibility of the Ukrainian language being destroyed,” Yatseniuk said. “At this stage we have completed the political mission. The bill is not going to be signed until the emergency session of Parliament.”

Yatseniuk said that between 2,000 and 3,000 protesters will most likely show up for the protest on July 31, and that will increase the pressure on lawmakers.

“My task is to support the protest,” Yatseniuk said.

Lytvyn on Friday insisted that he will not sign the bill, which he said was approved with numerous violations.

The introduction of the language legislation is believed to benefit Yanukovych’s Regions Party ahead of October parliamentary elections by energizing its supporters.

But the bill may cause grave problems in the long term by splitting the country with predominantly Ukrainian language speaking western and central regions and mostly Russian speaking people in the eastern and southern regions. (tl/ez)