The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Razumkov opened Tuesday’s plenary session.

The morning section

The Chairman gave the floor to representatives of the parliamentary factions and groups to make their announcements, statements, reports and proposals.

The first deputy speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk announced the creation of inter-factional parliamentary associations “Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Coalition”, “For Development of the Local Government Reform and Decentralization of Power”, “Kyivshchyna”, and “Free Markiv!”.

A two-faction statement on the acute need to conduct a sweeping public awareness campaign aimed at launching vaccination activity against diphtheria was made by MP Olha Stefanyshyn.

After the speeches, the Verkhovna Rada carried the agenda of the current meeting.

The current agenda:

• ·        First reading

1.     Bill No.2045 “On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine regarding granting the status and social guarantees for individuals from among participators of the anti-terrorist operation” (including the draft bill No.2045-1 as the alternate).

2.     Bill No.2063 “On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine regarding ensuring access of a defence counsel to a person eligible to the right of defence”.

3.    Bill No.1144 “On amendments to the Law of Ukraine ‘On the prosecutor's office’ regarding qualifying requirements to prosecutor general candidacies” (including the draft bill No.1144-1 as the alternate).

4.    Bill No.2031 “On amendments to Article 3 of the Law of Ukraine ‘On state social assistance to persons with disabilities since childhood and children with disabilities’ regarding a higher carer’s allowance for persons with disabilities since childhood” (including the draft bill No.2031-1 as the alternate).

5.     Bill No.2148 on ensuring voting in person by Ukrainian parliamentarians.

6.     Bill No.1127 regarding criminal liability of Ukrainian parliamentarians for ghost voting.

• ·        Second reading

 7.  Bill No.0905 “On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine regarding maintenance engineering, retrofit and upkeep of the state border”.

8.     Bill No.0869 “On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine regarding ensuring unhampered access of citizens to shore zones of water bodies for common water use purposes”.

9.   Bill No.0879 “On concessions”.

10.  Bill No.0001 “On ratification of the Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Ukraine to improve international tax compliance and to implement FATCA”, and two tributary bills on legislative amendments resulting from the above ratification.

11. Draft resolution No.2198 “On establishment of a Verkhovna Rada temporary commission of inquiry to investigate the mass disorders in Odesa on May 2, 2014, that caused grave consequences and undue performance of their policing duties by law enforcement authorities”.

MPs then proceeded to the business of the day.

• Laws, bills and resolutions passed

On changes of current agenda

--Draft resolution No.2101-10

The resolution proposes to include in the agenda some additional issues in accordance with the attached list and to remove a range of draft bills in accordance with the annex 1 (attached). The paper was backed by 240 votes in favour.

More soc guarantees for ATO/JFO participants

--Draft bill No.2045 (including the draft bill No.2045-1 as the alternate)

MPs have reviewed the bill No.2045 “On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine regarding granting the status and social guarantees for individuals from among participators of the anti-terrorist operation” (including the draft bill No.2045-1 as the alternate). It was then decided to support the bill No.2045-1 on the first reading. 321 ayes were given in favour of this decision.

On free access for defence counsels

--Draft bill No.2063

MPs have considered the bill No.2063 “On amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine regarding ensuring access of a defence counsel to a person eligible to the right of defence”.  The bill was sanctioned on the first reading by 332 parliamentarians.

On ensuring voting in person

--Draft bill No.2148

Parliamentarians have seen into the draft bill on amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine regarding ensuring voting in person by Ukrainian parliamentarians. The document was confirmed on the first reading by 287 ayes.

On fines for undue carriage of children

--Draft bill No.1150

The parliament examined the draft bill No.1150 on amendments to the Administrative Offences Code of Ukraine regarding instituting responsibility for violations of regulations for carriage of children. The draft law, in particular, runs that a driver who has violated the rules will be penalized by 30 tax-exempt minimum incomes for the first time, and if committed again within a year – by 50 ones. The bill charges the national police to try cases on such administrative offences. The bill was taken in tote by 332 ayes.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Razumkov closed the morning plenary session.