Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Groysman has supported a public initiative to declare February 5 the Day of Open Parliament.
"We will hold it on an annual basis. We will examine the results and elaborate new plans for the further periods," Groysman said at the presentation of the Open Parliament initiative on Friday.
Groysman assured that he as the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada and the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament will do their best in the process of Parliament's reformation. "We will only progress in improving this system," he noted.
"We have to value what we have, we have to learn from the mistake we make, and we have to move forward. Ukraine and the Ukrainians will not wait us — those, who are only thinking what to do. We have to act and use Europe's experience focusing on the best standards and with a view to the European integration," the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada said.
He also said that today, the Verkhovna Rada has to get its internal system of decision-making changed. "If someone mentions the Regulations and accuses of violation of the Regulations, I do agree with that. But, isn't it high time to amend the Regulations? To make the Regulations violation-proof and lawmaking-accelerating," he said.
"We should create conditions not to fight against piano voters, but to accept the system which would eliminate any opportunity to get back to that piano voting," he said.
Besides, Groysman said the system of Verkhovna Rada Committees' functioning should be changed to "bring deputies, who ignore fulfilling their functions and committee meetings, to responsibility."
Groysman reminded that in compliance with the findings of the Needs Assessment Mission of the European Parliament headed by Pat Cox, in late February, respective report and the Action Plan for reformation of the Verkhovna Rada would be presented. To provide those recommendations, public activists and people's deputies' assistance will be needed, the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada said. According to Groysman, such "unpopular steps will create the system it will be pleasant to work in."
The Chairperson of the Ukrainian Parliament called on experts and public activists to cooperate and support the reforms "to make the Ukrainian Parliament the best in the world."