Professionalism of people’s deputies cannot be measured by the number of bills adopted. Such an idea was expressed by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Lytvyn in the interview to Rada TV Channel on Thursday.
“Professionalism cannot be measured by percents,” V.Lytvyn stressed. Referring to what was said during his speech on closing of the eleventh session of the Verkhovna Rada of the sixth convocation, he added that this is the fault of both the Verkhovna Rada and his own responsibility as the Chairman of the Parliament.
At the same time, the Chairman of the Parliament noted that lots of adopted laws “are of temporary and incomplete character”. He called such bills “butterflies” that “seem to be attractive at the first sight, but finally, in perspective, they do not bear anything positive for the state and people”.
According to the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the problem lies in the fact that 450 deputies, each “trying to report before the voters on his/her positive figures, measured by the number of bills submitted”, have the right to legislative initiative. He stressed that at the same time, “nobody speaks of the advantages of the laws adopted”.
V.Lytvyn suggested treating this problem more critically and fundamentally. According to him, the statistics of Parliament’s work compels to “reconsider the right of the people’s deputy to submit bills”. In this context, he suggested introducing name bills: “I think we should introduce name draft laws, so that everyone knew who stands behind this or that decision”. He believes that it would, apparently, discipline deputies. Apart from this, the Chairman of the Parliament considers that “the laws should be initiated by 10-15 deputies to reduce piles of documents, which by no means always are positive for Ukraine”.
Answering the question, V.Lytvyn noted that he “neither wants the Verkhovna Rada to be convenient and pleasing, nor demonstrating fronde in regard to the Chairman of the Parliament or the Cabinet of Ministers”. “It is a counterproductive approach,” he noted.