ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, A PLENARY MEETING OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF THE SEVENTH CONVOCATION WAS HELD.
At the beginning of the morning meeting the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak announced that on January 3, 2013 the Central Election Committee registered people’s deputies of Ukraine Yuriy Poliachenko, Oleksandr Zats and Yuriy Blahodyr, elected on October 28, 2012 in the national multimandate electoral district on the list of the Party of Regions.
People’s deputies Yu. Poliachenko, O. Zats and Yu. Blahodyr took their oaths before the Verkhovna Rada.
V. Rybak announced that Oleksiy Kayda was elected the deputy head of the All-Ukrainian Union “Svoboda” faction.
The Chairman informed that people’s deputy Ye. Marmazov joined the CPU deputy faction.
V. Rybak announced also the establishment of inter-faction deputy union “Lviv region” co-headed by people’s deputies Iryna Sekh and Stepan Kurpil; the establishment of inter-faction deputy unions in support of canonical Orthodox Church of Ukraine and “International anti-fascist front” both headed by people’s deputy Vadym Kolesnichenko.
A break in the meeting was announced upon the request of “Batkivshchyna” and “Svoboda” factions.
After the break the head of “Batkivshchyna” faction Arseniy Yatseniuk explained the reasons for requesting the break: the factions wanted to include into the agenda a number of important items – on the course of Ukraine toward the European Integration and the respective resolution, on decriminalization of the articles of the Criminal Code under which Yuliya Tymoshenko and Yuriy Lutsenko were convicted, and the bill on amnesty that, according to him, “releases from political persecution Tymoshenko, Lutsenko and thousands of Ukrainians suffering from illegal criminal prosecution.”
A. Yatseniuk said that the opposition’s requirements are not satisfied, as the Conciliatory Council did not vote on their inclusion into the agenda yesterday. “We demand to include these bills into the agenda and vote; this will allow the Parliament to work,” he stressed.
A. Yatseniuk stressed also the necessity to connect the system of personal voting “Rada-3”. According to him, the factions demand observance of the Constitution of Ukraine in regard to personal voting of every people’s deputy.
During A. Yatseniuk’s speech, people’s deputies from oppositional factions blocked the rostrum and the presidium.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada V. Rybak informed that consultations of faction heads go on and announced a break in the plenary meeting until 4 p.m.
At 4 p.m. the representatives of opposition unblocked the presidium and the rostrum and the plenary meeting continued.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine announced that people’s deputies Yu. Blahodyr, O. Zats and Yu. Poliachenko joined the Party of Regions faction.
The Chairman informed about the results of meeting of the Conciliatory Council: they approved the agenda of the evening meeting where it is planned to consider the issue of early termination of powers of a people’s deputy, personnel affairs, inclusion of a number of bills and draft resolutions into the agenda, the issues of ratification, consideration of draft resolutions on early elections, and approval of plan calendar of the second session.
O. Tiahnybok, the head of “Svoboda” faction, said that the opposition insists on withdrawal of cards of people’s deputies absent at the meeting, as much voting is in view.
V. Rybak read out the last names of people’s deputies absent at the plenary meeting.
People’s deputies voted for inclusion of a number of bills and draft resolutions including those required by the opposition into the agenda.
Draft resolution on dismissal of S. H. Arbuzov from the post of the Head of the National Bank of Ukraine was presented by the Representative of the President of Ukraine at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Yuriy Miroshnychenko.
Representatives of the opposition insisted on granting a hearing to the account of the Head of the National Bank.
By results of voting (217 positive votes) the resolution did not receive enough votes.
The bill “To approve the decision of the President of Ukraine to send national contingent for Ukraine to participate in the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire and cross-border operations within inter-mission cooperation between the UN Mission in Liberia and the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire” was presented by the head of the Committee on National Security and Defence Oleksandr Kuzmuk.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill in entirety as a law by 266 votes.
People’s deputies did not support the bill on termination of powers of people’s deputy I. Prasolov.
On request of the Party of Regions and the CPU a break was announced.
After the break the Chairman adjourned the plenary meeting.
The next plenary meeting of the first session will be held on Friday, January 11.