Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman calls for elaboration of new election legislation with open lists.
Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman said this on the 112 Ukraina TV channel on Thursday.
"The election system requires total revision. I believe that the election lists have to be open. And the next elections will have to be conducted under the new law. We do not have to vote for the lists of candidates approved by parties' leaders, party chiefs, but for the people elected directly by our citizens," Groysman said.
According to him, the first, however, "not very successful," step in introduction of open election lists was taken in the Law of Ukraine "On local elections."
Groysman noted that the effective election system has not regulated some arguable issues, in particular, the matter of move of one people's deputy from an election list of one political party to the one of another political party.
Commenting on the adoption of the draft law No. 3700 "On amendments to Law of Ukraine "On election of people's deputies of Ukraine" (as to exclusion of deputy candidates from election lists in multi-mandate constituencies) by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Groysman noted that the Law was submitted for consideration of the Ukrainian Parliament following the demand of leaders of the five parliamentary factions: Yu.Lutsenko, M.Burbak, S.Sobolev, O.Liashko and O.Bereziuk. Thus, as the head of the Ukrainian Parliament, I had to put the draft law to vote.
The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada also noted that the draft law No. 3700 had earlier been discussed with experts and as a result of the discussion the document was improved.
Groysman informed that the Law touches only non-elected deputy candidates to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of VIII convocation, and does not mention the incumbent parliamentarians.
At the same time, the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada expressed his strong opposition to the draft law No. 3693 "On amendments to Law of Ukraine "On status of deputies of local councils" (as to recall of local councils' deputies).
"It means that the [party] chiefs want to recall local councils' deputies [at nay time convenient to them]. I believe it would be absolutely unacceptable," Groysman noted.