17 June 2014, 18:25
PLENARY MEETINGS OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF THE SEVENTH CONVOCATION WERE HELD ON TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2014.
Having opened the morning meeting, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov stated that on June 14 the military transport plane of the Armed Forces of Ukraine IL–76 which was about to land at Luhansk airport was shot by the terrorists. 40 military men and 9 crew members died aboard the plane. Same day a car convoy of the State Border Service was attacked. 5 border guards died.
People's deputies commemorated the deceased military men with a minute of silence.
"On behalf of the Verkhovna Rada we express condolences to parents, near and dear ones of the military men who sacrificed their lives so that Ukraine can remain free and united. Ukraine will never forget names of these heroes. The state will fulfill its duty of taking care of their families. The killers will not get away from the harsh punishment.
Glory to the heroes. Eternal memory to them", claimed Oleksandr Turchynov.
The Chairman claimed that on June 6, 2014, the Central Election Commission registered people's deputy Oleksandr Shevchenko, elected at midterm elections on May 25, 2014 at the single-mandate constituency No. 83, and people's deputy Ruslan Bohdan, elected on October 28, 2012 at a multi-mandate nationwide district, included to the electoral list of political party All-Ukrainian Union "Batkivshchyna"; on June 16, 2014 people's deputy Vitalii Iliashenko, elected on October 28, 2012 at a multi-mandate nationwide district, included to the electoral list of political party "UDAR".
Newly elected people's deputies took an oath to the Verkhovna Rada.
Turchynov informed about appointing people's deputy Serhii Soboliev as chairman of the "Batkivshchyna" deputies' faction, I.Kyrylenko, R.Kniazevych and A.Kozhemiakin as his deputy chairmen.
Representatives of deputies' factions and groups made their announcements, claims and messages.
Chairman of "UDAR" faction Vitalii Kovalchuk suggested adopt the resolution on dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and address the President of Ukraine with a proposal to appoint early parliamentary elections within terms stipulated by the Constitution.
V.Kovalchuk justified his proposal saying that "present Parliament does not correspond to demands of the society".
Representatives of other factions suggested urgently consider the issue on introducing martial law in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, the issue on terminating military cooperation with the Russian Federation, immediately create a single informational centre within the National Security and Defence Council, etc.
Oleksandr Turchynov informed about demands of protesters near the Verkhovna Rada. They demand that people's deputies transfer their salaries to the army supporting fund, do not stand for next early elections of deputies, and adopt the law on proportional system with open regional electoral lists, lower the electoral threshold and make expenditures for the elections transparent.
The Chairman gave the floor to Prime-Minister Arsenii Yatseniuk.
A.Yatseniuk started his speech with a bad news – Russia has completely stopped gas supply to Ukraine.
Good news is that it is summer now. Second good news is that we have 14 billion cubic meters of gas. And thirds good news – we have filed a lawsuit against Russian "Gazprom".
The Chair of the Government then informed about gas negotiations with the Russian Federation.
A.Yatseniuk informed that two months ago Ukraine sent a pre-arbitral claim to the Russian "Gazprom".
He reminded that in the first quarter of this year the price for Russian natural gas for Ukraine was USD 268. After the government had changed, Russia increased the price for Ukraine to USD 500. We have not and will not agree to such a price, since this price is politically motivated and discriminatory".
"Regardless of our address, Russia has not agreed to negotiations which would be aimed at signing an appendix to the Agreement and determining well-balanced and market approaches between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. We have conducted several rounds of negotiations, the European commission was also engaged in the negotiations in the trilateral format", informed A.Yatseniuk about results of negotiations and further steps.
The Prime-Minister stated that the Russian Federation refused to negotiate. "According to the Ukrainian government, the gas agreement is a part of the Russian plan on carrying out aggression against Ukraine. This is a part of the plan on destroying Ukrainian independence and statehood", claimed A.Yatseniuk.
He also claimed that "all this bacchanalia concerning gas has been made before President of Ukraine visits Brussels where the second, economic, part of the agreement with the EU will be signed".
Speaking about further actions, A.Yatseniuk claimed "we lived to see that Russia has claimed they are going to file a lawsuit. Thus, Russia has filed a lawsuit to the Stockholm Court, Ukrainian Company "Naftogaz Ukraine" immediately filed s lawsuit we claimed about 2 months ago. Russia demands USD 4,5 billion from Ukraine, Ukraine demands USD 6 billion from Russia".
The Prime-Minister reminded that we do not have an agreement with European partners on gas transit.
Concerning the use of gas transport system, A.Yatseniuk informed that tomorrow the government will approve two draft laws, one of them on a joint use and modernization of Ukrainian GTS. He addressed people's deputies to immediately consider this bill.
The Chair of the Government reported on gas reverse, claiming that the so-called small reverse has already been initiated.
A.Yatseniuk said that tomorrow the government will consider the bill on emergency state in the energy industry. "We are to be ready for the most complicated circumstances and conditions", he claimed.
Speaking about energy efficiency, A.Yatseniuk informed about established crisis energy headquarters at the government. Tasks of this headquarters include: balance of energy resources, balance of consumption, balance of expenditure, and energy efficiency.
Summing up, A.Yatseniuk stated that "the government's task is to fight for economy, fight for companies, for people, for millions of people working in metallurgic sector, in chemistry sphere. This concerns families, work, and salary".
"Thus, I will not give up without a fight. We will be fighting for the market price, for the fair price", claimed the Prime-Minister.
Oleksandr Turchynov announced for consideration the draft resolution on protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and counteraction to the military aggression of the Russian Federation. He informed that today four chairmen of factions submitted a new draft of the Address of the Verkhovna Rada to the President of Ukraine in connection with events in the east of Ukraine, which basically includes all proposals expressed in the previous draft resolution.
Oleksandr Turchynov suggested consider this address.
People's deputies included the Address of the Verkhovna Rada to the President of Ukraine in connection with events in the east of Ukraine (Reg. No. 4087а) into the agenda.
S.Soboliev read out the address' text.
People's deputies discussed the draft resolution, and made their suggestions
The Chairman granted the floor to the people’s deputy Iryna Herashchenko who informed that she is appointed Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, following the Decree of the President of Ukraine.
The Chairman informed that the people’s deputies propose include a great number of bills into the agenda. He suggested vote for the inclusion of the package of bills.
The people’s deputies did not uphold the suggestion (119 votes in favor).
The Chairman put each bill to vote separately.
Parliamentarians included several draft laws and resolutions into the session’s agenda.
Several bills, inter alia elections to the Verkhovna Rada, draft Electoral Codes, etc., were not upheld.
A break was announced.
After the break, the Chairman announced that the people’s deputy Vitalii Iliashenko joined the deputy faction “UDAR” and that the people’s deputy Vitalii Kovalchuk was elected head of the “UDAR” faction, and the people’s deputy Viktor Pynzenyk – the deputy chairman.
The people’s deputies continued inclusion of the draft laws and resolutions into the session’s agenda.
Parliamentarians included into the agenda and adopted the following draft resolutions: on the address of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the International Federation of Journalists, the European Federation of Journalists, the Association of European Journalists, the international organization "Reporters without Borders", the International Olympic Committee for information and psychological aggression carried out by the Russian Federation mass media against Ukraine (Reg. No. 4026a); on the Address of the Verkhovna Rada: "On harassment and violation of rights of Ukrainians in Russia, and urgent measures on satisfying national, cultural and language needs of foreign Ukrainians (Reg. No. 4046a); and on celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Andrei Sheptytskyi, metropolitan of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (Reg. No. 4233).
The draft law registered under No. 4074а on amendments to article 26 of the Law "On the System of Deposit Guarantee" was included into the agenda.
The people’s deputies continued adopting decisions on the issues discussed.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted as a basis and in entirety the draft law on amendments to the Law “On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2014” (re financial support to the Depositor Guarantee Fund) (Reg. No. 4983).
The bills on amendments to several laws of Ukraine re prevention (minimization) of negative influence on the stability of banking system (Reg. No. 4938) and on amendments to several laws of Ukraine re securing social guarantees of employees of mining and coal-producer enterprises, as well as state military accident rescue services (formations) in coal mining industry (Reg. No. 2203a) were adopted as a basis.
Parliamentarians did not uphold in the first reading the bill on amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine re peculiarities of taxation of subjects of software industry and re implementation of the national project “Tekhnopolis – creation of innovative development and high technologies infrastructure” and its components (Reg. No. 2063-д).
The people’s deputies considered in the second reading the bill on amendments to several laws of Ukraine re informing the population of genetically modified organisms contained in food products (Reg. No. 0912).
Following the results of voting, the bill was not adopted (193 votes in favor).
The Chairman adjourned morning plenary session.
During the evening plenary session the people’s deputies continued consideration of the agenda items.
Parliamentarians scrutinized several draft resolutions on appointing separate early local elections.
Davyd Zvaniia, Chairman of the Committee on State Building and Local Self-Government, reported that the Committee recommends the Parliament adopt all the resolutions, having set early local elections for Sunday, October 26, 2014. Particularly, elections of the following city mayors are set for October 26, 2014: Vuhledar city mayor (the city of Vuhledar of Donetsk Oblast); Irpin city mayor (Irpin city council of Kyiv Oblast); Malynsk city mayor (the city of Malynsk of Zhytomyr Oblast); Kirovske city mayor (the city of Kirovske of Donetsk oblast); Polonne city mayor (Polonne city council of Polonne region of Khmelnytsk Oblast); Hordenka city mayor (the city of Hordenka of Hordenka region of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast); Pochaiv city mayor (Pochaiv city council of Kremenets region of Ternopil Oblast); Ichnia city mayor (Ichnia city council of Ichnia region of Chernihiv Oblast); Sarny city mayor (the city of Sarny of Sarny region of Rivne Oblast); and Liuboml city mayor (the city of Liuboml of Liuboml region of Volyn Oblast).
Parliamentarians upheld all the resolutions by more than 245 votes.
The Verkhovna Rada has also amended its Resolution “On change and border demarcation of the town of Barvinkove of Barvinkove region of Kharkiv Oblast”.
The people’s deputies adopted the draft resolutions on the change and border demarcation of the city of Novohrad-Volynskyi of Novohrad-Volynskyi region of Zhytomyr oblast; on the change of name of the village of Varyvodky of Bilohirsk region of Khmelnytsk Oblast; and on the change of name of the village of Luknove of Koropsk region of Chernihiv Oblast.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted 156 resolutions on setting early local elections of separate village heads for Sunday, October 26, 2014, following the ad hock procedure.
Parliamentarians considered several bills in the first reading.
The draft law on cooperation of territorial communities (Reg. No. 4756) was reported by the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Volodymyr Hroisman. He noted that the bill aims to determine organizational and legal basis for cooperation of territorial communities, as well as principles, forms and mechanisms of such cooperation; its stimulation, funding and control.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted the bill as a basis by 281 votes, and in entirety by 274 votes.
The draft law on amendments to the Law “On Securing Citizens’ Rights and Freedoms and Legal Regime on the Temporary Occupied Territory of Ukraine” reported the people’s deputy Andrii Senchenko. He suggested regulate legal relations re declaration of the place of residence of the citizens that moved from the temporary occupied territory of Ukraine on the territory of Ukraine, as well as the right to gain education or the right to continue gaining education on the territory of other regions of Ukraine at the cost of the state budget, being provided with dormitories for the period of education.
Parliamentarians upheld the bill as a basis and in entirety by 233 votes.
The draft law on amendments to several legislative acts of Ukraine (re functioning of the State Land Bank) and registered under No. 4784 was adopted as a basis and in entirety by 264 votes. The adopted law excludes the provisions on the State Land Bank activity from the Land Code and the Law “On Banks and Banking”.
The people’s deputies considered the draft resolution on taking measures for increasing the level of state border protection (Reg. No. 4048a).
The bill suggests the Cabinet of Ministers to determine an optimal number of checkpoints that should be left for protecting the east border of Ukraine; according chapter 2 of article 4 of the Law of Ukraine "On State Border of Ukraine" to urgently approve documents necessary to unilaterally conduct demarcation of a ground part of border with the Russian Federation which will be equipped following the example of external borders of the European Union; and to immediately adopt a decision on terminating activity of checkpoints and intensify control over the state border with the Republic of Moldova in the part of bordering with the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldavian Republic; etc.
Parliamentarians upheld the draft resolution as a basis and in entirety by 261 votes.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted the draft resolutions on establishment of the following Interim inquiry commissions: on forming the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Interim Inquiry Commission on investigating circumstances of destroying military transport plane of the Armed Forces of Ukraine IL–76 which was about to land at Luhansk airport (Reg. No. 4095a) and on matters of investigating facts of mass persecution of drivers – participants of peaceful protest actions with the use of wheeled transport vehicles and bringing them to administrative liability (Reg. No. 4234).
The people’s deputies considered the draft law on amending several legislative acts of Ukraine (re converting garden cottages and country houses into residential dwellings and registering them as dwelling places) that was registered under No. 2336а.
The decision on the bill will be taken during next plenary meetings.
Parliamentarians considered and adopted as a basis and in entirety the bill on amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2014" (re completing the building of Dnipropetrovsk underground), registered under No. 4900.
The Verkhovna Rada amended its Resolution "On amendments to the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine "On forming the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Interim Inquiry Commission on examining the use of funds transferred by the Ukrainian citizens to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and expenditures from the State budget of Ukraine aimed at needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" (Reg. No. 4097a).
On adjourning the meeting, Oleksandr Turchynov reminded about the bill registered under No. 4087а that was considered during the morning plenary session and suggested take the decision on the bill on Thursday. The Chairman adjourned the evening session.
Next plenary meeting of the Verkhovna Rada will be held on Wednesday, June 18.