03 June 2010, 12:27
Delivering the speech during the scrutiny of the bill «On Principles of the Domestic and Foreign Policy" submitted by the President of Ukraine, Mykola Tomenko, the Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stated: "the document of such strategic character needs maximum involvement of experts, specialists and society in the course of its elaboration but not only officials even with opposition."
M. Tomenko is convinced that the mechanism of the bill discussion that defines the principles of the domestic and foreign policy of the state is supposed to resemble the scrutiny of the Constitution and other strategic documents.
Moreover, M. Tomenko emphasised the high "European-oriented character" of the President´s bill. Though, he deems this fact surprising, especially taking into the consideration the fact "that recently we adopted another document submitted by the Government Law "On State Program of Economic and Social Development of Ukraine for 2010" that, to put it mildly, is directly opposite according to its ideology,"
In particular, M. Tomenko reminded that in the course of the discussion of the Law "On the State Program of Economic and Social Development of Ukraine for 2010", during the first reading and elaboration for the second reading, he drew attention to the lack of the constitutional norms regarding support of Ukrainian language and culture. "However, despite all the protests, the program was adopted in the suggested version without these amendments or any of the norms envisaging support and development of the Ukrainian language, historical traditions, etc", he emphasised. M. Tomenko also stated that the chapter on education, in contrast to the Governmental Program that envisaged only general introduction of enhanced quality of education according to the European standards, strictly determines "reforms and development of the modern educational system, provision of their integration in the European and world educational community, as well as implementation of the principles and standards of Bologna process."
In the end of his speech, M. Tomenko stressed that if "the President decided to elaborate such European-oriented approaches in his program that means he is supposed to inform on it his officials, as the speeches of certain dignitaries are directly opposite to the Presidential bill." Instead, M. Tomenko deems "such strategic change of direction from Russian-oriented to European-oriented directions" on paper can be explained by the fact the document is elaborated "with the aim of calming of international community, and with aim to impalement it."