25 November 2010, 10:38
Mykola Tomenko: The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is being gradually transformed into the Advisory Body under the President of Ukraine
On Thursday, Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, took part in the theoretical-practical conference "Institute of Presidency in Ukraine and Foreign Countries: Formation, Development and Modern Tendencies", dedicated to the anniversary of the All-Ukrainian Referendum in 1991. In the beginning of the conference, Mykola Tomenko declared that the experts shall research the institute of presidency in Ukraine and other states to analyze its development after the adoption of the notorious judgment of the Constitutional Court on the so-called ‘new-old´ Constitution. "Strengthening of the status of the presidential institute and the one-party system in Ukraine would gradually lead to the situation when other decision-making bodies authorized by the Constitution would lose their authority and become the bodies to prepare decisions to be ratified by the Administration of the President of Ukraine", he emphasised.
The Deputy Chairman declared that adoption of the Tax Code demonstrated that the long-lasting discussion and more than four thousand amendments caused the Parliament to fail the vote for at least one of the principal amendments, although lots of provisions shall be amended.
According to Mykola Tomenko, if the situation does not change, the country would face the substitution of functions in the state management system, whereas the Parliament would gradually transform from the legislative body into the advisory one, or even "into the lower chamber, the functions of the upper chamber being assumed by the Administration of the President of Ukraine", M. Tomenko stated.
M. Tomenko is convinced that such a tendency observable after the so-called ‘Constitutional counterrevolution´ levels the status of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, court institutions, and local self-government bodies, and strengthens the Presidential line. "I projected that the present Constitutional model of a de-jure presidential-parliamentary republic will transform Ukraine into a de-facto presidential republic", the Deputy Chairman stated.