THE VERKHOVNA RADA CONTINUED ITS WORK IN A PLENARY MODE ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2014.
Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Koshulynskyi opened the morning plenary meeting. Having noted that in the country’s east the situation still remains tense, he informed that yesterday in an uphill battle with separatists, having been ambushed, seven Ukrainian military men – troopers of the 95th air mobile brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – died.
People’s deputies commemorated them with a minute of silence.
MPs made their announcements, statements, messages and proposals.
Main topic of the speeches was a complicated situation in the country’s east and yesterday’s tragedies in Kramatorsk where Ukrainian military men died.
People’s deputy Yu.Syrotiuk claimed that “today Russian bandits are trying to start a civil war; ethnic cleansing has been already initiated in Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts”.
Yu.Syrotiuk demanded “to put to vote the issue on depriving people’s deputy Oleh Tsariov of parliamentary immunity”.
People’s deputy Oleh Liashko stated “in order to fight the enemy in Ukraine, the terrorist who is transforming our Donbas to Chechnya, it is urgent to clean up the Verkhovna Rada from the enemy”.
Other MPs also made their statements regarding the latest developments in the east. They demanded from the Verkhovna Rada to determine its main priorities in the activity and focus all the efforts to implement them.
People’s deputies considered the issue on including to the agenda several draft laws and resolutions. Following the results of the voting, three bills were included: the bill on amendments to the Law “On the Status of a People’s Deputy of Ukraine” (re ensuring activity) under Reg. No. 4772; on amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (re ensuring personal voting of people’s deputies of Ukraine) under Reg. No. 4609; on amendments to article 51 of the Labour Code re protection of health of pregnant women (Reg. No. 4105).
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov further conducted the plenary meeting.
People’s deputies considered bills in the first reading.
People’s deputy Viktor Shvets reported on the draft law on private detective (investigative) activity (Reg. No. 1093).
Some people’s deputies claimed the bill has some drawbacks. Viktor Shvets agreed with the necessity of the bill’s improvement.
Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Legislative Support of Law Enforcement Mykola Palamarchuk reported on the Committee’s decision to recommend that the Verkhovna Rada adopt the bill as a basis with its further improvement for consideration in the second reading.
Oleksandr Turchynov put the bill to a signal voting (169 in favour).
The Chairman announced about forming an inter-faction union in the Verkhovna Rada “For peace and stability” which includes 15 people’s deputies. Chairman of the union is V.Hrushevskyi.
Mykola Tomenko reported on the draft law on amendments to several legislative acts of Ukraine re increasing level of social protection of war veterans (Reg. No. 4081). He voiced suggestions on improving social guarantees submitted by the NGOs representing combatants of Afghanistan.
M.Tomenko informed about these suggestions and addressed people’s deputies with a request to uphold this bill.
Chairman of the Committee on Matters of Pensioners, Veterans and Persons with Disabilities Valerii Sushkevych reported the decision of the Committee to recommend the Verkhovna Rada adopt the bill.
The people’s deputies discussed the bill.
After the discussion of the bill, the Chairman informed that voting on the bill will be held during the next plenary meeting and announced a break.
After the break, Oleksandr Turchynov drew attention to the absence of a number of people’s deputies, having noted that this is “disrespect to the Verkhovna Rada”.
Parliamentarians continued consideration of the bills in the first reading.
The draft law on amendments to article 22 of the Law “On Protection of Economic Competition” re state monitoring over the concentration of economic entities (reg. No. 2563) was reported by the people’s deputy Yaroslav Sukhyi.
Chairperson of the Committee on Entrepreneurship, Regulatory and Antimonopoly Policy Oleksandra Kuzhel reported the decision of the Committee to recommend the Verkhovna Rada reject the bill, since “it is does not correspond to the interests of Ukrainian aircraft development.”
Oleksandr Turchynov informed that Vlasenko Serhii Volodymyrovych, Bondar Serhii Volodymyrovych and Mazur Lilia Mykhailivna were appointed members of the Higher Council of Justice on April 11.
The newly appointed members of the Higher Council of Justice took an oath to the Verkhovna Rada.
The people’s deputies considered the bill on e-commerce (Reg. No. 2306a) in the first reading.
In the course of discussion, the people’s deputy O.Liashko informed that the so-called people’s governor of Luhansk Oblast Valerii Bolotov left Ukraine through Dovzhansk checkpoint in Luhansk Oblast.
He addressed the Prosecutor’s General Office, the Security Service of Ukraine and the State Border Service and all those speaking about the Counter-terrorist operation that is being held in Ukraine with a question “how a man with blood on his hands, the one who has a hand in killings of our people and split of Ukraine could freely leave Ukraine through the official checkpoint?” “What sort of Counter-terrorist operation is it? What kind of boundaries are these?” asked the people’s deputy.
Oleksandr Turchynov entrusted the Prosecutor’s General Office, the Security Service of Ukraine and the State Border Service to provide official explanations regarding the fact that was just proclaimed from the tribune of the Verkhovna Rada.
The Chairman adjourned plenary session.
Next plenary meeting of the Verkhovna Rada will be held on Thursday, May 15.