Verkhovna Rada

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine addressed EU member states, US, Canada, Japan, and the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs asking them to influence Russia in order to avoid a new round of aggression related to the latest events in Crimea.

First Vice-Speaker Oksana Syroyid stated that if early parliamentary elections would be organized based on the existing election law, Ukraine will witness tyranny.

The current draft law on the High Council of Justice contains provisions that will prevent any reform of the judicial system for many years.

Maksym Mykytas won the by-election to the Rada in electoral district No. 206 in Chernihiv. After processing 100% of votes, he took 31.45% or 15 276 ballots

Changes to legislation that would simplify the procedure of lifting immunity from MPs who are suspected of crimes and prevent them from leaving the country are being prepared in the Verkhovna Rada.

On 15 July, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Andriy Parubiy closed current session of the Parliament. Next week, MPs will work in committees. The next Parliamentary session starts on September 6.

The Verkhovna Rada approved amendments to legislation, introducing on biometric passports for citizens of Ukraine.

The Verkhovna Rada sent the draft law on the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (NKRE) for amendment.

Verkhovna Rada renamed Kirovohrad to Kropyvnytskyi in compliance with the law on decommunization. 230 MPs voted to support this decision

Oleg Bereziuk, the head of the Samopomich faction in the Verkhovna Rada, thinks that the current parliament is not fulfilling its obligations.

According to the Constitution, Opposition Bloc won’t stop the powers of the Parliament even if 150 MPs step down.

The Ukrainian National Bar Association (UNBA) insists that the Sytnyk and Kholodnytskyi report about the “infringement of professional rights, honor and dignity by NABU officials, which took place during mass searches.”

"Currently there are no draft laws, that have been discussed and agreed not only by the fractions of the coalition, but other MPs as well. Therefore, there is no pending legislation to be voted on. We might need to gather parliamentary committees to finalize these draft laws and be ready to adopt them," — reasoned Hryniv.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine strengthened administrative responsibility for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The Verkhovna Rada passed the first reading of a bill on changes to the Law on State Service, which gives the President control over local authorities.

The Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on amnesty for fighters of the Anti-Terrorist Operation.

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Andriy Parubiy closed the afternoon meeting of Parliament just after it started.

Verkhovna Rada approved submission by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine to launch criminal proceedings against Oleksandr Onyshchenko, an MP from Volya Narodu parliamentary group

Ihor Hryniv, Leader of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc parliamentary faction, has expressed disapproval of the Supreme Court of Ukraine’s decision to cancel the Parliamentary resolution to dissolve the village council in Kotsiubynske and hold elections there.

It will soon be impossible to prosecute judges who put Maidan protesters in jail, as the three-year statute of limitations will expire in three and a half months.

Detentions of state officials last week are just the first step in removing corruption from the government, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman stresses.

The Verkhovna Rada should adopt a law to exempt military personnel who break the peacetime Criminal Code during wartime from criminal responsibility.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Andriy Parubiy said to journalists there was a risk that the Parliament won’t promptly consider the appointment of new members of the Central Election Commission.

Ukrainian Parliament Chairman Andriy Parubiy would be in favor of removing the special status of non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts from the draft amendments to the Constitution concerning decentralization.

Speaker Andriy Parubiy counts on law enforcement agencies not to let MP Oleksandr Onyshchenko out of Ukraine while the Verkhovna Rada is going through the procedure of lifting his immunity.

MP Igor Lutsenko has proposed the establishment of an interagency commission to counter illegal construction.

On Friday, May 27, 2016 Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko gave her first press conference upon returning to Ukraine after being imprisoned in Russia.