The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy opened the morning plenary session.
Opening the meeting, the Chairman congratulated parliamentarians and the people of Ukraine on the long-awaited unification council held on December 15, that gave birth to longed-for Ukraine’s Local Orthodox Church. A.Parubiy expressed his sincere gratitude to all those who had participated in the council.
He then also informed the chamber about a very important resolution on militarization of the Crimea which had been passed by the UN General Assembly the day before.
The presiding officer gave the floor to representatives of the parliamentary factions and groups to make their announcements, statements, reports, and proposals.
After the speeches, the lawmakers switched over to debates over the business of the day.
Laws, bills and resolutions passed
On tougher responsibility for mal-usage of state awards and military uniform, and for damage to graves
--Draft bill No.9217
On the first reading, there was taken the draft bill “On amendments to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offences and the Criminal Code of Ukraine regarding responsibility for lawless actions against national awards, illegal wearing of military uniform and desecration of burial spots of defenders of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and some other persons”.
The bill strengthens pecuniary liability for misuse of the awards and uniform (changes to the article 186-1 and introduction of a new article 186-8 for the first code) and institutes a criminal liability for desecration of the defenders’ graves (changes to the article 297 of the second code).
On military standards
--Draft bill No.8370
On the first reading, there was passed the draft bill No.8370 “On amendments to certain laws of Ukraine regarding military standards”.
The bill is to replenish the law of Ukraine “On defence of Ukraine” with some new definitions pertaining to standards, to empower the defence ministry to legally regulate the military standardization processes and to entitle the ministry to designate the body in charge of the military standardization. The appropriate changes shall be introduced to the law of Ukraine “On standardization”.
On engineering support and technique of state borders
--Draft bill No.6777
The parliament passed on the first reading the bill “On amendments to certain regulatory enactments concerning providing of engineering support, technique and maintenance of state borders”.
To meet the above goals, the bill is to change the water and land codes of Ukraine as well as the law of Ukraine “On state border of Ukraine”. The draft law provides for granting to the state border guard service a bundle of plots of land of the water resources inventory and plots of ground in sustained (long-term) use for purposes stipulated by the above service regulations. The said plots must be within the frontier zone. The bill is also to specify the working order on land plots of the water resources inventory and so forth.
On reforming the draft boards system
--Draft bill No.9285
The parliament has carried on the first reading the bill “On amendments to certain legislative enactments of Ukraine following the establishment of territorial recruitment and social protection centres on the basis of military commissariats (draft boards)”.
The bill is to change a range of military-related laws to reshape the system of military commissariats. There is to be instituted a new system of territorial recruitment and social protection centres instead.
On commemorative dates and jubilees in 2019
--Draft resolution No.9234
--Draft resolution No.9171
The Verkhovna Rada passed the resolution “On amendments to the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine “On establishment of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine exhibitions for tertiary students” as to changes in rates of VRU exhibitions”.
The document sets new rates of the exhibitions subject to levels of accreditation of education institutions. The resolution becomes effective on the day of its promulgation and is to be applied from September 1, 2018.
The presiding officer closed the meeting.