Volodymyr Lytvyn is against hastily adopting a new law on election of the People´s Deputies.
Staying with a working visit in Lviv, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Lytvyn stated that the bill on election of People´s Deputies, submitted by the deputies from the Party of Regions, the Communist Party of Ukraine, the People´s Party, and the Reforms for the Future Group, will hardly be considered during the next plenary week. "The next parliamentary week will be heated, so I doubt that this bill might be scrutinized," he said. "At most, it might be placed on the agenda."
V. Lytvyn informed that before this bill was submitted, the legislative initiative of People´s Deputies B. Tarasiuk, O. Chornovolenko, and V. Koval was registered. Therefore, according to the Standing Orders of the Verkhovna Rada, the bill on election of People´s Deputies, submitted by the deputies from the Party of Regions, the Communist Party of Ukraine, the People´s Party, and the Reforms for the Future Group, was qualified as alternative to the bill from the Our Ukraine faction.
The Head of the Ukrainian Parliament admitted that election laws "are never good enough for everyone, because it is a concentrated politics, so the Verkhovna Rada shall analyze this bill carefully, and pass a decision which would be supported by the Verkhovna Rada."
V. Lytvyn briefed on the key provisions of the bill submitted by six People´s Deputies: elections to be held under the mixed majoritarian-proportional election system, whereby 50% of the People´s Deputies are elected in majoritarian constituencies, and 50% - by the party lists; a five-per-cent vote threshold for the parties.
The right to nominate the candidates for deputy offices in single-mandate constituencies is realized by the voters through the parties. Candidates can be nominated simultaneously by the party list and in the majoritarian constituency. The resolution in this case is passed during the party convention. Candidates can be self-nominated. The bill retained the principle of setting up election commissions which was effective during the latest elections to the local councils. "However, no election law is perfect; there is a democratic procedure of elections, transparent elections, and impartial count of votes," the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada stressed.
Commenting on the expectable scrutiny of the bill, V. Lytvyn reminded that People´s Deputies and other subjects of legislative initiative can submit alternative bills within fourteen days. Thus, he called against hastily placing the registered bills on the agenda, but recommended waiting for fourteen days to "prevent any complaints about violations concerning these sensitive issues." "Big problems always start from small things," he stressed.