On Wednesday, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andrii Parubii took part in the meeting of the USAID RADA Program dedicated to the reformation of the Ukrainian Parliament.
Parubii noted that the Parliament as well as the whole country is facing challenges in conditions of war. "We are facing serious challenges and at the same time we have to take important decisions touching security and economic reforms almost in all fields of our life," he said having agreed with his American colleague, who called the situation in Ukraine "a repair of a jet at a flight."
Andrii Parubii said that his major task as the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada was to reform the Ukrainian Parliament on the whole. "We have elaborated the system of reforms along with the European Commission and the [Needs Assessment] Mission of Pat Cox, which provided their recommendations and requests. Our goal is their speediest embodiment," he said.
Parubii said that next plenary meeting, the Ukrainian Parliament would consider the first recommendations touching the amendments to the Regulations of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. "This is one of the comprehensive reforms, which will make the work of the Verkhovna Rada more effective, more open and active," he said. The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada pointed out several amendments that touched the extension of the parliamentary committees' work, change of their working format, extension of terms for the communication with the Government, increase of the number of session weeks from two to three, raising of discipline of people's deputies. "The change of the work format itself will make our work more effective," Parubii said.
The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada said that there had been a meeting with the heads of the parliamentary factions and groups dedicated to the speediest possible acquaintance with the offered amendments to the Verkhovna Rada Regulations to lower the number of speculations: "I want the parliamentarians to use the upcoming holidays to prepare their proposals to let us adopt the draft law during the next two plenary weeks," he said.
In speaking of the top-priority tasks of the Ukrainian Parliament for the nearest future, Parubii mentioned the adoption of the draft laws required for further cooperation with the International Monetary Fund, saying that our economy, reformation of the judicial system, consolidation of security and defense sectors, and reformation of the Ukrainian army depend on it.
The Chairperson of the Ukrainian Parliament also pointed to considerable potential in cooperation with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in elaboration of the draft laws, cooperation between the ministers and Verkhovna Rada Committees. "The ministers have to accompany the committees in discussing different draft laws," he said. He expressed hope that non-government and international organizations will support the Parliament on the path of reforms. "I hope our cooperation will be effective," he noted.
Reference information: USAID RADA goal is to promote a representative, accountable and independent parliament – the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine – by: supporting Members of Parliament (MPs) in their efforts to set up effective collaboration with their constituencies and improve the quality of exercising their representative powers; promoting the initiatives of civic education and civil society monitoring of both the Verkhovna Rada and the MPs in order to increase their accountability to the electorate; and facilitating the making of an independent legislative branch within the system of state authorities in Ukraine by increasing the efficiency of current parliamentary procedures.