The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak met with representatives of civic movements on Monday, particularly with the movement Chesno (Honestly) and the Open Public Platform.
In the course of the meeting, the issue of transparency of the higher legislative body of the state, as well as accessibility of parliamentary committees for mass media and NGO representatives was debated.
In this context, Volodymyr Rybak stressed that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is an open legislative body and “any questions should be settled through voting only”.
The Chairman of the Parliament noted that we should do everything possible to make fighting and confrontation a history. “Today we should provide both the majority and opposition with equal possibilities to express their ideas. We should find answers to all questions within the Parliament and not in the streets,” stressed Volodymyr Rybak, emphasizing that “this is what for our electors voted”.
Volodymyr Rybak appreciated shift in the issue pertaining to personal voting. He stressed that “this is a great merit of journalists and civic movements”. “Each time there is a meeting I wish every deputy to be present, to keep to the Rules of Procedure and follow it,” said the Chairman of the Parliament.
When debating the issue of citizens being present at the meetings of parliamentary Committees, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada noted that “experts, specialists, journalists, and NGO representatives should be involved in consideration of issues in the Committees”.
The Chairman informed that he intends to personally visit meetings of the Committees and to see how they work, for “each bill should be thoroughly scrutinized in the committees before it is referred to the session hall”.
Addressing participants, Volodymyr Rybak expressed readiness for cooperation and dialogue. He called to provide information and make offers that would promote development of democratic principles in the work of the Verkhovna Rada and the whole society. “We are on our way to Europe, thus, there should be European standards,” said the Chairman of the Parliament.