ON FEBRUARY 4, 2014, THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE SEVENTH CONVOCATION OPENED.  

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak announced that acting Prime Minister of Ukraine, First Vice Prime Minister, S. Arbuzov, members of the Cabinet of Ministers, Prosecutor General V. Pshonka, Chairman of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine A. Kliuiev, management of the judicial branch of power, who the Verkhovna Rada elects and appoints, leaders of foreign states’ diplomatic missions and other officials are present at this ceremony.    

According to article 83 of the Constitution of Ukraine, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak announced the fourth session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the seventh convocation open.   

The session was opened with the national anthem of Ukraine.  

Volodymyr Rybak suggested that the deputies share their thoughts on ways of regulating political crisis and ensuring stability in Ukraine. He also suggested make the first day of the session a day of an open parliamentary tribune and give a chance to everyone to express themselves.   

Deputies factions leaders, non-affiliated deputies and other people’s deputies gave speeches from the parliamentary tribune. The speeches concerned the assessment of the situation in the country and suggested specific steps regarding ways of overcoming the crisis and stabilizing the present situation.

Speakers, particularly, stressed that political confrontation is the disability of the country to protect its political, economic and national interests; it is establishment of conditions for dependence from eternal conditions and economic conjuncture; it is transference of Ukraine to a territory governed by external scenarios; these are actions, regardless of the Parties, that create a threat to territorial integrity and violent confrontation; these are anti-state actions.    

According to people’s deputies, overcoming the crisis is possible only in a peaceful way based on moratorium on a violent confrontation

Parliament members have also stressed the importance of refining the existing Constitution, returning to the Constitution of Ukraine of 2004, as well as reinforcement of control over the state bodies on the part of the society, delegation of powers to the citizens and establishment of conditions for the development of Ukraine as a democratic and competitive state, etc.

Attention was attached to the fact that country’s economy is beyond Parliament’s attention, which, they believe, may lead to exacerbation of socio-economic systemic crisis. “The Parliament should pool efforts in order to prevent this. It should work and pay the debt to the Ukrainian people,” the rapporteurs stressed.  

Summing up the speeches, Volodymyr Rybak suggested establish a working group consisting of representatives of all factions in order to generalize all the proposals and initiatives. The working group, according to him, will prepare the Statement of the Verkhovna Rada regarding the situation in the country that could be considered and adopted tomorrow.

Volodymyr Rybak announced expelling of the people’s deputy R.Zabzaliuk from the Batkivshchyna faction, under the faction’s minutes, and resignation of the people’s deputy A.Hrytsenko from the abovementioned faction, under the submitted application.

The Chairman informed about the inclusion of the people’s deputy L.Datsenko into the composition of the Batkivshchyna faction and the people’s deputy M.Kruhlov into the Party of Regions faction.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada noted that the people’s deputies have raised a very important issue of constitutional reform in their speeches. However, there are no adjusted materials to consider this issue now.

The Chairman said also that it is necessary to consider the draft agenda of the fourth session and the plan calendar and to take the respective decision.

The Chairman gave the floor to the faction representatives to make their suggestions regarding further work.

Volodymyr Rybak adjourned the morning session.

Having opened the evening meeting, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak informed that leaders of deputies’ factions and committees’ chairpersons conducted negotiations regarding options of considering the issue on constitutional reform. However, according to him, there are still not enough bills for consideration in the Verkhovna Rada.  

The Chairman gave the floor to the factions’ representatives.

Chairmen of the opposition factions “UDAR,” V.Klychko, and of “SVOBODA,” O.Tiahnybok suggested collect votes and vote for the Constitutional Act. According to them, it is important that the Parliament react to the present developments quickly and in time, settle issues on release of the detained and return to the Constitution of 2004.  

“Batkivshchyna” faction leader A.Yatseniuk claimed “the Parliament is not able to settle these issues, since the Party of Regions does not want the country to be politically and economically stabilized.”   

Party of Regions faction leader O.Yefremov stated that “we will have negotiated to the point when the economy will collapse.” “We will stop paying salaries, scholarships, and, dear opposition representatives, this will all be your fault,” he claimed.   

Communist Party of Ukraine faction leader P.Symonenko said that he firmly believes amendments to the Constitution should be made in a constitutional way. He also added that CMU favors cancellation of the post of the President of Ukraine and federalization of the country.   

Non-affiliated people’s deputy V.Lytvyn stated that there are a lot of suggestions. According to him, maybe it is necessary to listen to the Constitutional Court: what was it governed by when it was considering amendments to the Constitution? Or to listen to the legal experts in the sphere of constitutional law, what they would recommend. “We need to initiate movement towards settling this issue and approximate it to the legal framework, coordinate suggestions and make a decision,” he stressed.   

After the speeches, the Chairman informed that the factions’ representatives will again meet in the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada office for further consultations at 5 p.m., and adjourned the evening meeting.

Next plenary meeting of the fourth session will be held on Wednesday, February 5.