PLENARY MEETINGS OF THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE SXTH CONVOCATION WERE HELD ON THURSDAY, 17 DECEMBER
Oleksandr Lavrynovych, First Vice-Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, presided over the meeting. At the beginning of the morning meeting, he briefed on the results of work of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine at the plenary meetings on 16 December 2009.
People´s Deputy Oleksandr Yefremov stated that hundreds of automobiles with the drivers and passengers were blocked on the motor way between Kherson and Mykolayiv in the result of a heavy snowfall. O. Yefremov suggested that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine addressed the Ministry of Emergency Situations with a request to take all possible measures to assist these people, involving the helicopters of UN regiment dislocated nearby. The Parliament members supported the proposal.
The People´s Deputies scrutinized the issues concerning ratification. The Verkhovna Rada ratified the Framework Agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia concerning Cooperation in the Peaceful Exploration and Use of Outer Space; the Agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Russian Federation on the Measures to be taken to protect the Technologies due to the Cooperation in the Peaceful Exploration and Use of Outer Space, and Space-Rocket Hardware Construction and Use; the Agreement (in the Correspondence Exchange Form) between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Korea on Amendments to the Trade Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Korea of 30 November 1995.
The People´s Deputies adopted the Law "On Adoption of Recommendations on the Customs Cooperation to the Convention on the Foundation of Customs Cooperation Council" and the Law "On Accession of Ukraine to the Convention on the Conflicts of Laws Relating to the Form of Testamentary Dispositions".
The Parliament members scrutinized two Bills concerning notification about the content of genetically modified objects in the goods.
People´s Deputy Oleh Zarubinsky presented the first Bill "On Notification about the Content of Genetically Modified Objects in the Goods".
The Verkhovna Rada adopted the Bill as a basis and in its entirety by 352 votes.
People´s Deputy Andriy Pavlovsky presented the other Bill on Amendments to the Law "On Quality and Safety of Foodstuffs" (re Notification about the Content of Genetically Modified Objects in the Goods).
The Bill was adopted as a basis and in its entirety by 375 votes.
Oleksandr Yefremov, Chairman of the Committee on Rules of Parliamentary Procedure, Ethics and Support to Work of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, presented the Bill on Temporary Inquiry Panels, Ad Hoc Temporary Inquiry Panel and Temporary Ad Hoc Panels of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The Bill was adopted as a basis by 370 votes.
People´s Deputy Roman Zvarych presented the appeal of the BYuT and Our Ukraine-People´s Self-Defence Factions concerning scrutiny of the Bill on Amendments to the Law "On Elections of the President of Ukraine" (re Prevention of Falsifications in the Election Process). The Factions demanded that the conclusions of the Venice Commission be taken into account while scrutinizing the Bill.
The People´s Deputies listened to the Report of the Temporary Ad Hoc Panel of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in charge of reforming the Security Service of Ukraine and its Legislative Support.
The National Defense and Security Council and the Decrees of the President of Ukraine ratified the Concept and the project of reforming the Security Service of Ukraine. Pursuant to these documents, the Security Service shall be transformed into a solely counterintelligence body devoid of law enforcement functions. The Panel believes that it is an untimely proposal.
The Verkhovna Rada passed the preliminary report of the Temporary Ad Hoc Panel, prolonging the work of the Panel.
Ravil Safiullin presented the Report of the Temporary Inquiry Panel of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to investigate the Law Abidance during the Reconstruction of the "Olimpiyskiy" Sport Complex.
The Panel detected the facts of misappropriation of public funds allocated for the reconstruction.
Pursuant to the Resolution on the setting up of the Temporary Inquiry Panel, its work will be prolonged.
The Report of the Temporary Inquiry Panel of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to investigate the Facts of Violation of the Constitution of Ukraine and Ukrainian Laws by the Officials of Kyiv State Administrations of Kyiv Region by Allocation and Registration of Land Plots was adopted. The work of this Panel was prolonged.
People´s Deputy Kateryna Vashchuk presented the Bill on Amendments to certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine regarding Assistance to the Agricultural Sector under the Conditions of the Global Financial Crisis. The Bill extends the validity of the fixed agricultural tax.
According to K.Vashchuk, non-adoption of these regulations will result in considerable losses of the agricultural enterprises. The Bill was adopted as a basis by 318 votes.
Volodymyr Skubenko presented the Report of the Temporary Inquiry Panel of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to investigate the Circumstances concerning Violation of Ukrainian Legislation by Alienation of Public Share Packages in the Ownership of Joint-Stock Companies in the Field of Agricultural Engineering Industry due to activity of the Open Joint-Stock Company "Lease Company "Ukrahromashinvest", and investigate the Circumstances of Leading the OJSC "Khersonski Kombainy" to Bankruptcy.
The Verkhovna Rada rejected the Draft Resolution on the report of the Panel, prolonging its worl till 20 March 2010.
The work of the Temporary Inquiry Panel of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to investigate the Circumstances surrounding the Violation of the Constitution of Ukraine and Ukrainian Laws during the Elections to the Ternopil City Council and the Facts of its Falsification was terminated.
The Verkhovna Rada rejected the Draft Resolution on the report of the Temporary Inquiry Panel of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to investigate the Circumstances of the Death of the People´s Deputy, I. Pluzhnykov and Acquisition of His Property and Shares of "Inter" Television Company. The Panel shall continue its work.
Vasyl Kyseliov presented the Report of the Temporary Inquiry Panel of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to investigate the Unauthorized Occupation of Land Plots, Illegitimate Construction of Residential, Business and Entertainment Centers in the City of Simferopol and Passivity of the Law-Enforcement Bodies. The Panel ascertained the facts of interpenetration of crime and officialdom in the Crimean Autonomous Republic due to the inactivity of the law enforcement bodies.
The Resolution was adopted by 241 votes.
Then the afternoon plenary meeting was adjourned.
The next plenary meeting of the fifth session will be held on Friday, 18 December.