29 April 2014, 11:33
Opening the meeting, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Acting President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov noted that extension of rights of local self-government, reaching balance between all branches of power and development of an independent judicial branch are principal directions in reforming the Constitution.
“These are the amendments to the Constitution that should provide a foundation for democratic changes, a foundation for the development of a democratic European state, on the basis of which we will be able to develop and build other directions of progressive changes,” he claimed.
Oleksandr Turchynov noted also that without extension of rights of local self-government, “it would be impossible to overcome consequences of authoritarianism and totalitarianism, and build strong regions and a strong state”. According to him, balance between all branches of power should prevent their confrontation.
According to Oleksandr Turchynov, the decision on making amendments to the Constitution should be taken during the two parliamentary sessions.
As the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenii Yatseniuk stressed, all political forces should sign the text of the Constitution in order to “show the entire world and, primarily, Ukraine and Ukrainian people that there is unity of all political forces, irrespective of their ideology and territories and the political force they support. Ukraine is a unitary state that respects rights of territorial communities and the right of each Ukrainian to chose and control the central authority, as well as elect local government and influence it.”
Chairman of the Government noted also that under a new Constitution of Ukraine, oblast and regional state administrations should be liquidated. “Heads of state administrations are the rudiments of Soviet power. They should be eliminated,” claimed the Prime Minister.
According to him, local territorial communities should elect chairmen of oblasts and regions. In the course of reforming state authority, there should be established executive committees, formed by the local community. According to A.Yatseniuk, state powers and authority, as well as functions on setting the local budget should be delegated to such structures.
“In line with a new Constitution, state representative bodies should be based on the territorial level,” noted the Prime Minister and stressed that they should maintain control over adherence to legislation on a certain territory.
A.Yatseniuk believes that state representative bodies should have no financial or economic influence in the region.
Also, according to him, the function of general prosecutor’s office monitoring, as well as the imperative mandate of the people’s deputy should be liquidated by a new Constitution.
The Prime Minister of Ukraine noted also that the President of Ukraine, under a new Constitution, should be “a guarantor of demonopolization of power.” He believes the President should be deprived of the functions to appoint defense and foreign affairs ministers. Instead, A.Yatseniuk said, appointment of candidates to these posts should be held upon the recommendation of a Prime Minister, agreed with the President.
A.Yatseniuk stressed also the necessity to adopt a new version of a budgetary and tax codes in order to take into account the new role of local government structures in the course of tax administration.
The Prime Minister noted that the draft of a new Constitution should be elaborated and adjusted (particularly with the Venice Commission) prior to presidential elections on May 25.