THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE SEVENTH CONVOCATION CONTINUED ITS PLENARY WORK ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25
298 people’s deputies registered for participation in the plenary meeting.
Having opened plenary meeting, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov gave the floor to representatives of deputy factions. He addressed them with a request to focus attention on formation of coalition of deputy factions and to express their ideas in regard to including into the agenda the draft laws on setting early elections of the deputies of Kyiv City Council and Kyiv city mayor, as well as in other places where there were no city mayors for a long time.
Factions’ representatives stood for the necessity to consider draft resolutions on setting early local elections. In their speeches the peoples deputies made proposals regarding suspending broadcasting and re-broadcasting of certain TV and radio programs, ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, as well as adoption of the law on lustration and adoption of a number of laws aimed at overcoming catastrophic economic situation in the country.
Speakers stood for cancellation of pension and medical reforms.
Factions’ representatives stressed inadmissibility of seizing local administrations, destroying monuments, mass violations of public order, etc.
“We should be responsible for everything that takes place in the country,” was stressed in the speeches.
Batkivshchyna faction Chair Arsenii Yatseniuk noted that Ukraine is in extremely complicated political and economic conditions. “Law and order should be established in the country. Previous authority has destroyed the foundations of justice and has built a brigandish system, based on corruption and murderers,” he stressed.
“We have to calm down people, who have actually started rebuilding the country destroyed both politically and economically. What is worse, an attempt was made to morally destroy it, but it failed,” he noted.
A.Yatseniuk informed about the economic situation and about yesterday’s talks he has held with leading Western officials. He noted that Europe is ready to provide support to Ukraine. However, support will be provided exclusively to the new government of national confidence.
The rapporteurs noted also that one of the main tasks is to secure irreversibility of peaceful and legal overcoming of socio-political crisis; renewal of the system of state government; pooling efforts in order to form irreversible European structure, as well as competitive and democratic Ukraine, etc.
After the speeches, people’s deputies approved the agenda of the plenary session by 263 votes and wend down to consideration of issues.
The Chairman read out the draft resolution on the authorities of the acting President of Ukraine, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr V. Turchynov to sign the laws of Ukraine.
The people’s deputies upheld the draft resolution by 316 votes in favor.
The meeting was further led by the Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Koshulynskyi.
The draft resolution of execution of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case No. 21722/11 “Oleksandr Volkov against Ukraine” was reported by the people’s deputy Mykola Katerynchuk.
Discussion of the resolution turned into making proposals on consideration of other, not less important issues, according to the parliamentarians.
The people’s deputies noted that it is necessary to study the documents, proposed for consideration, and take the decisions.
The people’s deputy M.Katerynchuk called on the colleagues to vote on his draft resolution.
The people’s deputies did not uphold the draft resolution (207 votes in favor).
Answering questions of the people’s deputies regarding detection of the ex-president Yanukovych, R.Koshulynskyi informed that the case on bringing to the criminal responsibility and detection of the ex-president V.Yanukovych is in Pechersk Court in Kyiv, and the decision regarding the case should be made today.
The draft resolution was recommitted.
The Chairman informed about resignation of people’s deputy Volodymyr Demishkan from the Party of Regions faction.
Draft resolution on the Statement of the Verkhovna Rada to the International Criminal Court for recognizing by Ukraine the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court for committing crimes against humanity by high-ranking state officials that led to particularly serious consequences and mass killings of Ukrainian people during peaceful protests since November 21, 2013 until February 22, 2014 was included into agenda.
People’s deputy I.Herashchenko expressed the faction’s stand regarding non-admission of introducing to agenda drafts only by voicing them. She demanded a break during which factions would be able to get acquainted with the documents.
The Chairman announced a break.
After the break, the Chairman reminded that the draft Statement of the Verkhovna Rada to the International Criminal Court is being considered.
Author of the draft resolution, people’s deputy S.Sas reported about its content. According to him, “by order of the high-ranking state officials for the last three month, during November 30, 2013 – February 22, 2014, Ukrainian law-enforcement bodies have been improperly using physical force, special tools and weapons against protesters in Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine. Their officials have been consistently abusing their powers, committing other grave and especially grave crimes that led to deaths of over 100 citizens of Ukraine and other countries, injuries and mutilation of over 2000 persons, 500 of which are now in critical condition; they have been torturing peaceful civilians, etc.”
S.Sas stressed “it is an unprecedented fact that the local government and militia used organized criminal groups in order to threaten and kidnap people, torture and kill them, destroy their property, etc. As a rule, people were prosecuted based on political motifs (activists of the opposition parties, of NGOs, of “Euromaidan,” of “Automaidan,” etc).”
S.Sas suggested that the Verkhovna Rada addresses the International Criminal Court with the Statement which “determines those guilty in committing crimes against humanity stipulated by article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and bringing to criminal responsibility Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych – President of Ukraine – and other officials who gave and performed obviously criminal orders, and who may be determined by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.”
During the discussion, the people’s deputies suggested to include surnames of those Ukrainian high-ranking officials who are also involved in crimes against citizens to the draft (particularly, such surnames as M.Azarov, S.Arbuzov, A.Kliuiev, O.Lukash, etc. were mentioned).
Summing up the speeches, Oleksandr Turchynov claimed that it is necessary to adopt the Statement now, and the list will be supplemented with surnames of officials who will be found guilty.
MPs upheld the draft Statement of the Verkhovna Rada to the International Criminal in entirety with 339 votes.
The list of guilty was supplemented with the names of Prosecutor General V.Pshonka and Minister of Internal Affairs V.Zakharchenko, and the Statement of the Verkhovna Rada was adopted in entirety with 324 votes.
People’s deputies considered several draft resolutions on calling early elections of Kyiv mayor and deputies of Kyiv city council.
The Chairman informed that the specialized committee recommends that the Parliament adopt draft resolution of people’s deputy V.Yavorivskyi (Reg. No. 4198-6).
V.Yavorivskyi stressed that it is necessary to restore local authorities to the capital as soon as possible. He suggested call early elections of Kyiv mayor and deputies of Kyiv city council on Sunday, May 25, 2014.
It was also suggested to bring back district councils in Kyiv. However, it was stated that the decision on restoring district councils should be made not by this resolution, but they should be formed by a new Kyiv council.
The Verkhovna Rada appointed early elections of Kyiv mayor and deputies of Kyiv city council on Sunday, May 25, 2014 with 331 votes.
Oleksandr Turchynov reminded that there are still a lot of resolutions on calling early elections in other cities. He paid attention to a suggestion by “UDAR” faction regarding the priority issue – forming a coalition and the government of national confidence. The Chairman suggested take a break in a plenary meeting till 10 a.m. of Thursday, February 27.
Oleksandr Turchynov informed that the plenary meeting will start on Thursday with a decision on forming a coalition and government, and later all other laws will be put to voting.
The Chairman announced a break till Thursday, February 27.