PLENARY MEETINGS OF THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE SIXTH CONVOCATION WERE HELD ON TUESDAY, 1 DECEMBER
In the beginning of the morning plenary meeting, Oleksandr Lavrynovych, First Vice-Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, sent his greetings to the People´s Deputies on the occasion of the 18th anniversary of the resolution on the independence declaration adopted at the national referendum on 1 December 1991.
The Chair briefed on the results of work of The Verkhovna Rada at the plenary meetings on 17-20 November.
Representatives of the Deputy Factions presented their appeals, announcements and proposals.
The People´s Deputies greeted the members of the Croatian Parliament´s delegation headed by Luka Bebic, Chairman of the Parliament, who attended the plenary meeting.
The Verkhovna Rada passed the resolution, pursuant to which, at the Friday´s plenary meeting the People´s Deputies shall listen to the reports of Liudmyla Denysova, Minister of Labour and Social Policy, and Oleksiy Zarudny, Head of the Pension Fund, concerning implementation of the Law "On the Living Wage and Minimum Wage".
The People´s Deputies repeatedly scrutinized the Law "On Organization and Order of Activity of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine" with the President´s motions. Ihor Popov, Deputy Head of the President´s Secretariat and Representative of the President of Ukraine at The Verkhovna Rada, stated that the President of Ukraine called for rejecting the Law to regulate organization and order of activity of The Verkhovna Rada as required by the Fundamental Law and the resolution of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine of 1 April 2008 (No.РП-2008).
The Representative of the President of Ukraine at The Verkhovna Rada stressed that it was not for the first time that the Parliament was trying to determine the organization and order of activity of The Verkhovna Rada evading the requirements of the Constitution and the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.
The President of Ukraine called on The Verkhovna Rada with a request not to abuse its constitutional authorities and take into account the stand and the resolution of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.
Oleksandr Yefremov, Chairman of the Committee on Rules of Parliamentary Procedure, Ethics and Support to Work of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, stated that the Committee disagreed with the President´s recommendations, since the organization and order of activity of The Verkhovna Rada and the Statute of the People´s Deputies of Ukraine shall be determined solely by the laws of Ukraine, as stated by Paragraph 21, Part 1 of Clause 92 of the Constitution of Ukraine.
The Committee on Rules of Parliamentary Procedure, Ethics and Support to Work of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine recommended that The Verkhovna Rada repeatedly adopted the Law in its entirety.
The Verkhovna Rada overrode the President´s veto on the Law "On Organization and Order of Activity of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine" by 384 votes.
The Parliament members repeatedly scrutinized the Law "On Amendments to the Budget Code of Ukraine" with the President´s motions.
Yevhen Kyrylchuk, First Vice-Chairman of the Budget Committee, stated that The Verkhovna Rada had scrutinized the President´s motions to the Law "On Amendments to the Budget Code of Ukraine" (Reg. No.2709) on 21 October, neither amendment being adopted, and the veto being not overridden. The Bill was forwarded for further adjustment to the Budget Committee.
According to Ye.Kyrylchuk, the Committee has received numerous appeals of the authority bodies and public organizations that positively assess the Bill or comprise certain remarks concerning implementation of new budget regulations. The Bill on the State Budget for 2010 based on a new version of the Budget Code provokes especially much criticism.
The adjusted Bill on the State Budget for 2010 shall be based on the previous Budget Code, as decided by The Verkhovna Rada. However, certain provisions of the previous Budget Code fail to comply with the effective legislation and the Constitution. Hence, the amendments introduced by the Bill are obligatory.
The Budget Committee recommends that The Verkhovna Rada postpones repeated scrutiny of the Law to the sixth session of The Verkhovna Rada. The Committee´s Working Group continued to accept remarks and motions to adjust the Bill.
The People´s Deputies rejected the proposal of the Budget Committee (205 votes) and did not override the President´s veto on this Law (199 votes). The Law was cancelled.
Serhiy Podhorny, Chairman of the Sub-Committee on the State Building and Local Self-Government, presented the adjusted Bill on Amendments to the Law "On the State Voters Register" (re Status and Authorities of the State Voters Register, and Compilation of Voters Lists).
The Bill enhances legislative support of the bodies in charge of the State Voters Register. Adoption of the Law is supposed to make the voters lists at the polling stations quality and up-to-date.
Serhiy Podhorny stated that the Committee had received 144 motions and amendments to the Bill.
The Committee recommended that The Verkhovna Rada adopted the Bill at the Second Reading and in its entirety.
The Parliament members scrutinized the amendments to the Bill, upholding 3 of them. The Bill was adopted at the Second Reading and forwarded for adjustment for the Third Reading.
In the end of the morning plenary meeting, the People´s Deputies started to scrutinize the amendments to the Bill on Amendments to certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine regarding Elections of the President of Ukraine.
At the afternoon plenary meeting, the Parliament members resumed scrutiny of amendments to the Bill on Amendments to certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine regarding Elections of the President of Ukraine. 126 amendments were scrutinized. Neither amendment was supported.
The Chair stated that the scrutiny of the amendments shall be continued at the plenary meeting on Wednesday, 2 December. The afternoon plenary meeting was adjourned.