"If item of special status of Donbass to remove, we would be able to find out 300 votes for draft amendments to the Constitution in terms of decentralization" - Andrii Parubii

Press Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariat
09 June 2016, 16:33

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andrii Parubii, answering journalists' questions about the changes to the Constitution in terms of decentralization, said that people’s deputies can remove from the draft law the norm on the special status of Donbas.

At the same time, he said, it means a return to the first reading and re-sending the draft law to the Constitutional Court.

Andrii Parubii stressed that "decentralization - is one of the most significant reforms that Ukraine needs today."  In his view, an item on method of self-governing of separate districts of Donetsk and Lugansk regions «is not mandatory for decentralization reform." "Actually, namely it causes the most of debates. If this item to remove, sure - we would find 300 votes for decentralization reform,” – said the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada. – “The only thing we can do it is to go back to the beginning."

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada noted that the Verkhovna Rada approved amendments to the Constitution in terms of decentralization in the first reading and, according to Ukrainian legislation, the changes to the Constitution cannot be adjusted between the first and second reading: "There should be a decision on the withdrawal of the item and a repeated sending to the Constitutional Court." "Actually, we are returning to the very start. Because there is no simple solution. We cannot remove an item applicable to Donbas between first and second reading, and as for to return to the very beginning – there should be a responsible decision", - said Parubii.