After the presentation of the principal provisions of amendments to the Rules of Parliamentary Procedure by Verkhovna Rada Chairperson Andrii Parubii, the participants of the event proceeded to the discussion of the proposed amendments.
In the start of her speech, Chairperson of the Subcommittee for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation and European Integration of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Svitlana Zalishchuk pointed to the readiness and rapidity of the Parliament’s leadership concerning launching the reform of the Parliament. "The debate in the civil society with the participation of experts will be an important part of this process. The meaningful debate, including in the parliament, will be decisive in the course of the approval and effectiveness of this reform," she said. According to words of S. Zalishchuk, the essence of the reform is the transformation of the Verkhovna Rada into the politically independent institution and strengthening of its legislative and controlling functions. "Together with the amendments to the Rules, we are moving toward the bigger accountability of the authorities,” the speaker said. “Draft law concerning the transparency of the work of the Parliament, and non-personal voting prevention has already been registered."
Advocacy manager at the Reanimation Package of Reforms, board member at the Transparency International Ukraine Yaroslav Yurchyshyn addressed mass media with a request to pay more attention to the work of people’s deputies in the committees. "The reform of the Parliament is not someone's political project. I hope that with the amendments to the Rules of Parliamentary Procedure most people would ‘get infected with a virus of reforms’," he summarized.
Ihor Kohut, Board Chair at the Laboratory of Legislative Initiatives, director of USAID RADA program said: "We will continue helping the Parliament to strengthen all its functions. Offered have been really revolutionary amendments to the Rules of Parliamentary Procedure. Because if people elect the Parliament, they expect that this Parliament will work for them."
Then they have a lively discussion of the proposed amendments to the Rules of Parliamentary Procedure with the media.
For reference: according to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine resolution dated March 17, 2016 No.1035, the basis for the internal reform and institutional capacity building are the Recommendations of the European Parliament’s Needs Assessment Mission elaborated to improve the quality of Ukrainian parliamentarism and presented in the Report and Roadmap on internal reform and capacity-building for the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.