ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, THE EIGHTH SESSION OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE SIXTH CONVOCATION WAS OPENED

At the beginning of the meeting, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, announced that Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine, Mykola Azarov, Prime Minister of Ukraine, members of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Head of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, Head and Judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine,  Head of the Supreme Economic Court of Ukraine, Head of the Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine, Head of the National Bank of Ukraine, Head of the Fund of the State Property of Ukraine, Ombudsperson of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Prosecutor-General of Ukraine, Chairman of the Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine, Head of the Supreme Council of Justice, heads of the diplomatic missions of foreign states, and other officials were present at the grand ceremony.

Under clause 83 of the Constitution of Ukraine, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, opened the eighth session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the Sixth Convocation.

The choir performed the National Anthem of Ukraine.

Viktor Yanukovych, President of Ukraine, addressed the members of the Parliament. The Head of the State emphasized that the work during this session will be very intense. "The steps we will take with you will be fateful, or perhaps even historic. The Ukrainian nation will assess these steps", The President declared.

The President of Ukraine also declared that upon implementation of the administrative reform, the political system in Ukraine will be reformed.

"Working together, we will continue to reform the laws, so that Ukraine finally stepped on the course of modernization of our society and formalization of the association with the EU", V. Yanukovych believes.

Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, delivered a speech at the opening of VIII session of the Verkhovna Rada. He focused on the necessity of legislative support of the reforms suggested by the President of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

V. Lytvyn emphasized, "The Cabinet of Ministers is going to submit 117 reformative bills to the Parliament, not including 136 bills registered. Given this fact, the priority order of scrutiny and implementation of the suggested laws should be set.  In this respect, the idea of a joint sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Conciliative Council of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is noteworthy."

In his speech, V. Lytvyn focused on the legislative support of reforms, pressing legislative reforms to fight corruption and prevent corruptive infringements, land issues, approaches to the problems in the social sphere, importance of the sensible position of the Verkhovna Rada in political questions, place and role of Ukraine in regional and global relations.

After the ceremony, the recess was announced.

After the recess, the Chairman put the draft resolution "On Agenda of the Eighth Session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the Sixth Convocation" to the vote.

The People´s Deputies passed the Resolution "On Agenda of the Eighth Session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the Sixth Convocation" by 361 votes.

A new version of the bill on amendments to the Law "On Seeds and Planting Stock" was presented by Hryhorii Kaletnik, Chairman of the Committee on Agrarian Policy and Land Relations.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill by 329 votes.

The bill on amendments to the Law "On Conveyance of Land, other Objects of Fixed Assets that are in the Private Property, for the Public Needs or by Reason of Public Necessity" (regarding the objects connected with the conduction of the European Football Championship in 2012) was presented by Oleksandr Zats, People´s Deputy of Ukraine.

The People´s Deputies discussed the bill and forwarded it for adjustment.

The Chairman gave floor to Adam Martyniuk, Chairman of the Interim Panel. He presented the bill "On Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine regarding Conduction of Regular Elections to the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea, Local Councils, and Village, Township and City Mayors," and reported on the decision of the Panel to recommend the Verkhovna Rada to adopt the bill as a Law.

The bill was supported by the factions of the Party of Regions, the Communist Party of Ukraine and the People´s Party. Representatives of "BYuT-Batkivshchyna" and "Our Ukraine-People´s Self-Defense" factions informed they were not going to vote for the bill, as it infringes the Constitution of Ukraine.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law "On Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine regarding Conduction of Regular Elections to the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea, Local Councils, and Village, Township and City Mayors" by 310 votes.

On request of "BYuT-"Batkivshchyna" and "Our Ukraine-People´s Self-Defense" factions, the Chairman announced the break in the sitting for the consultations. After the break, representative of "BYuT-"Batkivshchyna" faction Serhii Sas announced that Oleh Babaev, Ruslan Bohdan, Ivan Kurovskyi, Pavlo Movchan, Viktor Pavlenko, Anatolii Semynoha and Anton Yatsenko are excluded from the faction, pursuant to the decision made at the sitting of the faction during the break.

The Chairman announced that People´s Deputies Oleksandr Bobyliov from Our Ukraine-People´s Self-Defence Faction, and Dmytro Vetvytskyi from BYuT-Batkivshchyna Faction left the respective factions.

People´s Deputy Yurii Lytvyn reported on the bill on organic production. The bill on organic production was adopted as a basis by 302 votes.

The Parliament members scrutinized two bills on amendments to several Laws of Ukraine regarding education (re observance of state guarantees in case of students of private education establishments), rejecting them.

The Chairman adjourned the morning plenary meeting.

At the afternoon plenary meeting, the People´s Deputies resumed scrutiny of the agenda issues.

Maksym Lutskyi, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Education and Science, presented the bill on Amendments to several Legislative Acts regarding Regulation of Copyright and Related Rights. The bill was adopted as a basis by 249 votes.

Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, announced that People´s Deputies Oleh Babaiev, Ruslan Bohdan, Ivan Kurovskyi, Pavlo Movchan, Viktor Pavlenko, Anatolii Semynoha and Anton Yatsenko were excluded from BYuT-Batkivshchyna Faction according to the protocol of the faction´s meeting.  

Taras Chornovil, First Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, presented the bill on amendments to the Law "On the International Agreements of Ukraine" (re proposals concerning conclusions of international amendments of Ukraine). The bill was rejected.

The Verkhovna Rada also rejected the bill on amendments to the Civil Code of Ukraine (re notarial certification and registration of lease agreements).

The following bills were adopted as a basis: on Amendments to the Economic Procedural Code of Ukraine regarding Procedural Legal Succession; on Amendments to certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine (regarding Jurisdiction over a Dispute).

The People´s Deputies rejected the bill on the guarantees of equality of parliamentary parties by the coverage of their activity by the state-owned television and radio channels.

Olena Bondarenko, Chairman of the Sub-Committee of the Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information, presented the bill on Amendments to the Law "On Television and Radio Broadcasting" (regarding Harmonization of Broadcasting Program Concept European with European Convention on Transfrontier Television).

The bill was adopted as a basis.

The bill on Amendments to Clause 143 of the Family Code of Ukraine (regarding Obligation of a Father to take a Child from the Maternity Home) and the bill on Amendments to the Law "On Tourism" regarding Compulsory Assignment of Categories to the Objects of the Tourism Infrastructure were adopted as a basis.

Scrutiny of the bill on the protection of rights of airline passengers in case of denial in boarding, cancellation or delay of their flight was postponed.

The bill on the design, construction and exploitation of a large belt-line highway around Kyiv was rejected.  

In the end of the meeting, Yurii Moroko, Chairman of the Sub-Committee of the Committee on Transport and Communications, presented the bill on Amendments to several Legislative Acts of Ukraine regarding Alleviation of Access to the Telecom Services Market. The bill was adopted as a basis by 295 votes.

The Chairman adjourned the afternoon plenary meeting.

The next meeting of the eighth session will be held on Wednesday, 2 February.