The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy opened the morning plenary session.
Opening the sitting, the Chairman informed those present that today’s session would entirely focus on state budget issues. Its afternoon part might be prolongated in order to finalize the matter later today.
Vadym Novynskyi, MP, was announced to have been elected as leader of the “Opposition bloc” parliamentary faction, his deputies being Oleksandr Vilkul and Yurii Voropaiev, MPs.
Yevhen Bakulin, Serhii Dunaiev and Yulii Ioffe, MPs, were also announced to have left the “Opposition bloc” parliamentary faction.
Additionally, the Chairman Parubiy informed the chamber about the birth of the inter-faction parliamentary union named “The Opposition Platform – For Life” to be co-chaired by members of parliament Yurii Boiko and Vadym Rabynovych.
The lawmakers resumed then the work over amendments to the yesterday’s bill No.7279-d on amendments to certain laws of Ukraine regarding streamlining a pre-trial investigation procedure for some categories of criminal offences.
Laws, bills and resolutions passed
On alleviation of pre-trial investigations
--Draft law No.7279-d
By 239 ayes, there was legislated the bill “On amendments to certain laws of Ukraine as to streamlining a pre-trial investigation procedure for some categories of criminal offences”.
The law defines the principles and criteria for distinguishing criminal misconducts and crimes, and the classification of criminal offenses for criminal misconduct, of medium gravity, grievous and especially serious crimes.
The law also harmonizes periods for holding inquests and judicial examinations of criminal misconducts; defines the procedure for applying the criminal records institution to persons who have committed a criminal offense; frames the circle of subjects in charge of conducting inquiries on criminal misconducts and the like.
The bill also institutes other amendments to the criminal code, the criminal procedure code and the code of administrative offenses.
On reactivation of “Chornomornaftogaz” enterprise
--Draft law No.8338
The parliament passed by 236 votes the law of Ukraine “On amendments to certain legislative enactments as to reactivation of the State unitary enterprise “Chornomornaftogaz”.
The law runs the enterprise shall open a special regime account in force for the period of the temporary occupation. The account is to be used for transactions relating to operating activities, investments, arbitrations and settlements on pre-occupation contracts. This account is to be opened in a bank to be determined by the ministers.
The relevant changes have been made to the law of Ukraine "On pipeline transport”. The law also provides for a temporary release from attachment on property by 31 December 2019.
On virement in CEC funding
--Draft law No.8496
The Verkhovna Rada has adopted the draft bill No.8496 “On amendments to Appendix 3 of the law of Ukraine “On State Budget of Ukraine for 2018”.
The bill is to enlarge the Central Election Commission’s general fund to additionally finance two budgetary programmes - “regulation and management of elections and referenda” (code 6731010) and “operation of the State voter register” (code 6731050), and is to cut the CEC’s expenditure assigned to finance the budgetary programme under the code 6741020 “state budget subvention to local budgets for holding elections of local councils deputies and rural, settlement and municipal/urban heads”.
The Chairman Parubiy then informed that the Constitutional Court of Ukraine had affirmed conformity of the draft law No.9037 on amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine (concerning the strategic course of the state to the acquisition of full membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) with the requirements of Articles 157 and 158 of the Constitution of Ukraine.
He commissioned the line committee to consider the bill at stake.
The presiding officer closed the meeting.