MP accuses Ukraine's legislature of being mired in ‘deep crisis’ as no sessions held for three weeks
The Ukrainian Parliament is in a deep crisis, Oleksiy Honcharenko, MP from the European Solidarity party and member of the Parliamentary Committee on Budget, said in an interview with Radio NV on March 14, citing reasons for this.
"It is obvious that we are in a deep parliamentary crisis," Honcharenko said.
“The parliamentary meeting that took place [on March 14] was the first in three weeks. The session lasted two hours, including an air raid alert.”
During this session, a single vote was taken on the Verkhovna Rada's appeal to the world regarding the so-called Russian elections, which is important, but more symbolic, and also belated, as the Russian elections are taking place on March 15-17.
"That's all. That is, there were no meetings for three weeks, and now there is a meeting and not a single law, not a single issue is resolved. This is a deep crisis," said the lawmaker.
He named a number of factors that, according to him, caused this legislative crisis.
Read also: Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada may start conscription bill with amendments on March 6
"First, it is the very low quality of the parliament's work organization," said Honcharenko.
“In fact, this has been happening for two years now, when parliamentary meetings are closed to the press, not broadcast online, and take place literally four to five times a month. This is a problem.”
The role of legislature as an institution has been virtually "nullified."
Another reason for the crisis is internal conflicts, which led to problems with gaining the required number of votes, the European Solidarity MP said.
"First of all, the situation within the Servant of the People is deteriorating," the lawmaker said.
“And what is interesting is that it was worsened by the meeting with the President. Because the President met with his own faction for the first time in two years, and after that their inspiration to work and vote somehow waned. Plus, there is a conflict with the part of the Golos that used to support it.”
A number of MPs have resigned from the Rada, and there are constant conflicts over lawmakers’ work trips and parliamentary diplomacy, Honcharenko added.
Another reason for the crisis is pressure from the President's Office, he said.
"The pressure from Bankova Street is one of the reasons why we are in this situation, because the Parliament has turned into a notary office that simply puts a seal and a stamp on what comes from Bankova Street. This is one of the things that demotivate," stated Honcharenko.
The Verkhovna Rada convened for its 100th meeting since the start of the full-scale war on March 14.
Read also: Ukrainian parliament convenes for 100th session since full-scale Russian invasion
Prior to that, the Parliament canceled three meetings scheduled for March 6-8.
MP Iryna Herashchenko said on March 14 that the reason for the cancellation was the need to "formulate a report for the U.S. Congress."
A top representative of the single-party-majority in the Verkhovna Rada told NV on March 13 on condition of anonymity that the Servant of the People has not yet agreed on the final version of the mobilization bill, but the document may be considered in the session hall in the next few weeks.
Another NV source in the Servant of the People clarified that the document is currently being considered by the National Security and Defense Committee. "About 300 amendments out of 4,000 have been passed. The document is still quite raw," he said.
The Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence was supposed to continue consideration of the mobilization bill on March 13, but the meeting did not take place.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
