THE EVENING PLENARY MEETING OPENED AT 4 pm
419 Peoples' Deputies registered to attend the Meeting.
Presiding at the Meeting was Olexander Turchynov, Member of the Interim Presidium.
He gave the floor to a member of the Faction initiating the recess, namely to the People's Deputy Petro Symonenko. The Chairman of the CPU Faction expressed his concern at the direct translation of the joint meeting of 'Our Ukraine- People's Self-Defence' and BYuT by the 'Rada' TV Channel. At this meeting, the members of the said Factions 'kept insisting on a quicker decision on Ukraine joining NATO and WTO; creating an image of heroes from bandits, OUN-UPA ( Ukrainian Nationalists' Organisation- Ukrainian Insurgent Army) members; destroying historic memories and their symbols, and inciting Russophoby.'
P. Symonenko also commented on the 'ungrounded accusations against Parliamentary professionalism and our colleague, of whom various members of this joint meeting of the two Factions spoke.'
According to P. Symonenko. this was the real reason underlying the request for a recess in the meeting,
After this, the Chair reminded those attending that it was the issue of the election of the Chairman and his deputies that was currently under consideration. O. Turchynov stated that the People's Deputy, Roman Zvarych, had submitted a motion and presented it himself. He had moved to elect the Chairman, First Vice-Chairman and Vice-Chairman in one list, formally allowing for a single combined nomination. According to him, the election of the Chairman, First Vice-Chairman and Vice-Chairman is a procedural issue.
The People's Deputies discussed this motion. Olena Lukash, a member of the Party of Regions Faction, drew attention to Clause 49 of the Standing Orders, setting out an exclusive List of those issues on which The Verkhovna Rada are able to take a procedural decision. She stressed that this Clause and List do not provide for this type of voting in this particular case.
Mykhailo Syrota of the Lytvyn Bloc noted that 'we cannot cancel a Constitutional provision requiring the Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada to be elected by Parliament using no single lists. Therefore the single list provision in the Standing Orders contradicts both the Constitution and Democratic principles'.
In response to statements by the People's Deputies, Olexander Turchynov, Chair, replied that election of the Chairman, First Vice-Chairman and Vice-Chairman is a procedural issue, and that The Verkhovna Rada must take a final decision on this matter.
A 30-minute recess was then announced, as requested by two Factions: BYuT and 'Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defence'.
After this interval, the People's Deputy Roman Zvarych explained the reasons behind the Faction's wish for a recess. The Coalition came out with a motion to elect Parliamentary leaders using a single list, with an Opposition member included in the list as a candidate for one of the positions.
He expressed his surprise at the statements from the Opposition members, finding violations of the Standing Orders in the proposal of the position of the First Deputy Chairman to the opposition and that of voting for a single list.
However, R. Zvarych took note of these statements and retracted his Motion.
The Chair invited the People's Deputies to nominate their Candidates.
Viacheslav Kyrylenko, the Chairman of 'Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defence' Faction, nominated the People's Deputy Arseniy Yatseniuk, as a candidate from the Coalition of Democratic Forces for election as Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
No other Faction submitted any nominations.
The Chair reminded all present that only one candidate had been nominated, i,e, Arseniy Yatseniuk.
Olexander Turchynov gave the floor to A. Yatseniuk. The Candidate spoke of his vision of the Chairman's role within the Parliamentary structure. The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine must first of all reveal his human attributes to Parliament, he said. 'The task of Parliament´s Chairman is to provide equal protection to the Opposition's rights as to those of the majority', he stressed.
A. Yatseniuk considered the formation of all Executive Authorities as vital for the formation of a Coalition as the election of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the signing of the Agreement.
The Candidate promised, should he be elected, to instil multilateral diplomacy in Parliament and to implement European Parliamentary standards.
The People's Deputies put questions to A. Yatseniuk concerning the sale of land, and requested details of his career experience to date, his attitude to the language issue, his vision of the mechanism for the subsequent formation of a Government, his opinion as to whether Parliament will be able to complete this process quickly and effectively, his understanding of the role of The Verkhovna Rada in ensuring The National Bank of Ukraine implements a stable, in terms of credit, money and its rates, policy for the benefit of the people.
The Candidate provided substantial replies to all questions put by the People's Deputies.
After this followed a discussion on the suitability of A. Yatseniuk as a Candidate.
Alla Alexandrovska of the CPU Faction stated her Faction was not satisfied with the Candidate's answers and that he should not stand at the Head of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Vladyslav Lukianov of the Party of Regions accused the Chair of depriving the People's Deputies of their right to make nominations.
Mykhailo Syrota of The Lytvyn Bloc commented that his Bloc recognises the will of 227 People's Deputies, who can elect The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine today. He added that 'the first difficulties Parliament will face will be connected with the divergences which admittedly exist in the newly-formed Coalition. These are the matters of returning the savings, a Professional Army, etc., which will substantially destabilise any proceedings of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine'.
The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine 'must demonstrate a great experience and wisdom in order to prevent the current Parliament from repeating the errors of of the 5th Convocation. ‘In the event The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the 6th Convocation terminates its Authorities prematurely, Parliamentarism will cease.'
Volodymyr Stretovych of the 'Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defence' Faction seconded the Nomination of A. Yatseniuk, and stressed that should he be elected, he will be the first professional lawyer at the Head of Parliament. He replied to remarks as to the candidate being too young: 'but youth is a deficiency which soon disappears, especially in the reality of Ukraine today'.
Viktor Pynzenyk of the BYuT Faction said: 'Arseniy Petrovych is a skilled expert, economist, and it was a pleasure to work alongside with him in the Government. He is a mature Ukrainian politician. The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc considers him capable of organising effective proceedings in the Ukrainian Parliament.'
V. Pynzenyk remarked that the BYuT Faction is unanimous in seconding the nomination of A. Yatseniuk to the position of Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The Returning Board decided upon a secret voting using Ballot Papers listing only one candidate The People's Deputy Arseniy Yatseniuk,
The Deputies then voted to continue the Meeting until the matter of the Election of the Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine was decided.
Following this, the People's Deputies, by 227 votes, approved the format of Ballot Paper.
A recess was announced until 7 pm, so that the Returning Board could prepare for the voting.
After this interval, Mykola Shershun, Chairman of the Returning Board, announced that the secret voting would continue for one hour, during which the People's Deputies would receive Ballot Papers for their voting.
A recess of one hour was announced at the Meeting,
After this interval the Chairman of the Returning Board, Mykola Shershun, announced the Returns of the secret voting. According to these, the People's Deputy Arseniy Yatseniuk had been elected Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the 6th Convocation. This Candidate was seconded by 227 People's Deputies of the Coalition of Democratic Forces. The People's Deputies of the Party of Region. The CPU and The Lytvyn Bloc Faction, however, refused to vote.
With much applause, the People's Deputies congratulated Arseniy Yatseniuk on the election to the position of Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
A. Yatseniuk thanked the 'Our Ukraine People's Self-Defence' and BYuT Factions, together with The President of Ukraine for his nomination.
He also thanked the Party of Regions, CPU and The Lytvyn Bloc Factions for 'making the voting possible, and holding the first Democratic secret voting for the Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine within these walls, which was not purchased and was free of political corruption.
During his first speech as Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, A. Yatseniuk said that despite the fact that half of those present at the meeting had departed before the announcement of the results, he expects as Chairman that The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will become and work as one unified body. 'I mean that each Deputy will receive our full attention, all Factions will enjoy equal rights ensuring that they are all treated as equals, and we shall create a competent body aimed at achieving the single-minded task of the advancing of Ukraine. Those wishing to work in this way will be able to do so. However, those who do not and intend to go their own way must realise that our roads will not meet and they will be alone.
The Evening Meeting was then closed.
The next Plenary Meeting of the First Session will be held on Thursday 6 December.