Mykola Tomenko: A New Constitution is such a Responsible Pursuit that it shall not be drafted only by the President´s Secretariat or the Party of Regions
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine failed to forward four Bills on Amendments to the Constitution scrutinized at the afternoon plenary meeting (Reg. No. No. 2722, 3252, 4171 та 4290) to the Constitutional Court.
Mykola Tomenko, Vice-Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, stated that the Bill registered by the People´s Deputies from the BYuT Faction (Reg. No. 4171) appertained to the issue discussed in the local self-government system. It is necessary to settle the said matter, securing stability at least for a year after the presidential election campaign, as the elections will be scheduled for 2011.
Mykola Tomenko deems necessary to focus on the two newly-drafted versions of the Constitution.
The Vice-Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stressed that a new Constitution is such a responsible pursuit that it shall not be drafted only by the President´s Secretariat or the Party of Regions. "A new version of the Constitution shall be a compromise approved by the majority of politicians, the experts and the public", - he stressed.
As far as the draft submitted by the Party of Regions Faction is concerned, M.Tomenko states that "it envisages a parliamentary model with its advantages and disadvantages". He declared that the BYuT faction could not endorse certain aspects concerning ideology. Thus, the draft actually legitimizes bilingualism and envisages a simplified procedure of holding the referenda.
"The President´s draft causes a paradoxical situation, - stated M.Tomenko. It includes the regulation concerning deputy´s immunity; however, the President insists that he strongly objects to any immunity. The draft also alters the administrative and territorial division, uniting certain villages and settlements and changing the quantity of regions", - he stated.
M.Tomenko believes that a bicameral parliament also poses a serious threat. "A bicameral parliament is a formalized oligarchy by means of senators. It is a threat for a unitary State; moreover, it is absolutely unnatural for our history and tradition", - stressed the Vice-Chairman.
The Vice-Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stated: "For an optimal Constitution to be adopted, the society shall request a draft Constitution, the experts shall elaborate it, the politicians shall ratify at the Verkhovna Rada and the public approve it. The newly-drafted Constitutions suggested today are nothing but the Constitutions for certain political parties".