The Verkhovna Rada is working on elaboration of the People's Deputies Behavior Code, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Groysman told the press on Monday.
"We are working on the Behavior Code in the frames of our joint Mission of the European Parliament and the Ukrainian Parliament. We will define the proposals for the deputies and the ones touching the procedures, new Verkhovna Rada Regulations. Besides, they will touch the cooperation adjustment," Groysman said. "I believe that not later than in January, we will submit respective complex proposals," he added.
Groysman also noted that people's deputies have to bear criminal responsibility for grave crimes or corruption. "The issue of unlimited immunity requires comprehensive regulation," he said. "Politically, every deputy has to be protected from any responsibility for political activity: voting, own opinion, political position, participation in political events. Those, of course, require comprehensive protection, however, criminal activity must be seriously punished. No immunity should cover such cases," he added.
According to Groysman, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Parliamentary Regulations should offer its proposals "as to political responsibility as criminal responsibility is regulated by respective laws." Besides, the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada added that the Committee should also elaborate proposals as to "no immunity for commission of murders, infliction of heavy bodily harm, etc." "In fact no unlimited immunity is possible in a democratic state," he stated.
Speaking about the draft law on amendments to the Constitution touching the restriction of deputy and judge immunities, Groysman said that several weeks ago he again sent a letter to the relevant Committee to receive proposals on the procedure of the draft law's consideration.