PLENARY MEETINGS OF THE SECOND SESSION OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE SEVENTH CONVOCATION WERE HELD ON THURSDAY, APRIL 2

At the beginning of the morning session, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak informed about dispense from duties the people’s deputy of Ukraine Yuriy Smoilenko who was the Deputy Chairman of the Party of Regions faction and election to this post people’s deputies of Ukraine Olena Bondarenko, Oleh Zarubinskyi, Anatoliy Kinakh, Oleksandr Kozub, Oleh Tsariov and Dmytro Shentsev. 

The Chairman announced establishment of the following inter-faction unions in the Verkhovna Rada: “Bilychanskyi Forest” (headed by people’s deputy Oleh Kutovyi) and “For fighting of AIDS, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis epidemic” (headed by the people’s deputy Lesya Orobets).

The authorized representatives of deputy factions made their suggestions, claims and statements.

The Chairman announced consideration of the refined draft resolution on the agenda of the second session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the seventh convocation. He noted that by the decision of the Conciliatory Council of the deputy faction leaders, all the bills registered of March 18, 2013, as well as the bills additionally suggested by the deputy factions should be included into the agenda of the second session. According to the Chairman, the agenda included one appendix and a number of bills, which the committees and factions suggested not to include into the agenda of the session. “That is why, it is suggested consider the agenda of the session first of all, and then suggestions of factions and people’s deputies in regard to contradicting issues,” noted Volodymyr Rybak.    

People’s deputies adopted the draft resolution as a basis by 398 votes. 

Then, the parliament members considered all the draft laws and resolutions included to the Appendix No. 1. By results of voting, none of them was upheld. In particular, the suggestion to include the draft resolution “On 80th Anniversary of Genocidal Holodomor in Ukraine and commemoration of victims of the Ukrainian Nation Genocide” into the agenda was not supported.    

During the discussion of the draft resolution all the people’s deputies, except representatives of the Communist Party of Ukraine, paid a one minute tribute to Ukrainians who died during the period of Holodomor in Ukraine. 

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the resolution on the agenda of the second session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the seventh convocation in entirety by 263 votes.

The draft law to amend the Law “On Mandatory State Pension Insurance” (re work experience and conditions of retirement) was reported by the people’s deputy Petro Symonenko. He reminded that this law “was adopted at the demand of the International Monetary Fund to receive another tranche”.

“In view of the average life expectancy of the citizens of Ukraine (men – 62; women – 73), as well as the poverty of the vast majority of the country, the faction has voted against the suggested pension reform,” he added.

The people’s deputy has made several suggestions in regard to the bill (establishing retirement age for men – 60 and for women – 55, given the work experience not less then 15 years, etc.)

The Chairman of the Committee on Matters of Pensioners, Veterans and Persons with Disabilities Valeriy Sushkevych informed that the Committee recommends the Verkhovna Rada to adopt this bill a as basis.

He said also that this is not the only bill to reject the pension reform.

Government representative informed that the Ministry of Social Policy does not uphold this bill, for it does not consider other laws also pertaining to the pension reform.

Opposing factions upheld adoption of the bill, the initiator of which is the people’s deputy L.Denysova.

I.Bohoslovska, representative of the Party of Regions faction, noted that Ukraine is the only country on the post Soviet territory where the pension reform was not held.  

Representative of the non-affiliated people’s deputies I.Yeremeyev suggested bring for consideration all the bills (that of opposition, of non-affiliated people’s deputies and of the Communist). He believes “these bills truly settle the problems of Ukrainian people”. 

By results of voting, the bill was not adopted (220 votes “for”).

People’s deputies considered the issue of ratification.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the law in entirety by 386 votes.

The parliament members considered the draft law to amend article 263-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine in connection with Ukraine’s accession to the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

The bill suggested a new version of the name and part 1 of article 263-1 of section IX of the Criminal Code of Ukraine “Crimes Against Public Security”, establishing criminal responsibility not only for manufacturing, readjusting and repairs of firearms, but also for counterfeiting, illegal release or change of marking. 

The Chairman of the subcommittee on legislative support of law enforcement Hennadiy Vasylyev reported the decision of the Committee to recommend the Parliament adopt the bill as a basis. 

People’s deputies adopted the bill in the first reading by 383 votes without discussion.

At the demand of the Party of Regions and the Communist Party of Ukraine, the break in the meeting was announced.

At the beginning of the evening session, people’s deputies considered the draft resolution on setting elections of the deputies on Kyiv City Council and the Kyiv mayor in the second reading (second reading in short term). The bill was registered under No. 1030.

The First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on State Building and Local Self-Government Olha Mykhailenko informed that the bill was considered in accordance with the instructions to prepare it in the short term.

Representatives of opposition suggested considering the issue according to the full procedure.

The “Batkivshchyna” faction leader A.Yatseniuk addressed the Chairman with a request to hold the, so-called, preferential voting.

Volodymyr Rybak put adoption of the draft resolution in the second reading and in entirety for voting.

By results of voting, the draft resolution was not adopted (209 votes “for”).

At the demand of “Batkivshchyna” and “Svoboda” factions a break was announced to hold consultations.

As of 6 p.m. the evening session was not continued.