Rada puts Poroshenko-proposed bill amending constitution on plenary session's agenda
The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada has put a bill proposed by President Petro Poroshenko on amending the constitution concerning the powers of government bodies and self-government bodies on its plenary session agenda.
The proposal was supported by 277 out of the 373 parliamentarians who checked in for the Thursday session.
Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksandr Turchynov said that, after the bill had been put on the agenda, public debates on it would be held.
"Following debates on the next plenary week, we would be able to find where we stand on this bill's future, and in case there are alternative bills, on these bills as well," Turchynov said.
The Rada will gather for the next plenary session on July 22-25.
Poroshenko filed the bill amending the constitution with the Rada on June 26.
In particular, the president proposed the establishment of a new territorial item called hromada (community). Residents of a hromada shall elect a village, a settlement, or a city head through common, equitable, and direct voting in a secret ballot, who shall head the council's executive committee and chair its sessions. A village, settlement, or city head elected in such a way shall stay in office for five years.
The chairman of a district council shall be elected from its deputies and shall head its executive body. A district council shall build the council's executive body following recommendations by its elected chairman.
The chairman of a regional council shall be elected from its deputies and shall head its executive body.
Poroshenko also proposed appointing presidential representatives to regions and districts, who would supervise the observance of the constitution and other laws and human rights and freedoms. They would also coordinate and organize activities of all territorial bodies of the central executive authorities and local self-government bodies during a state of emergency and martial law.
The president proposed allowing local government bodies to grant special status to languages of ethnic minorities, while the Ukrainian language would remain the only official language.
Poroshenko also proposed that the president be entitled to discharge a prosecutor general and the heads of the Security Service and the State Investigation Bureau without the Verkhovna Rada's consent.
A candidate for prime minister recommended by the president would have to be appointed by the parliament. "The president of Ukraine would submit a candidate for prime minister of Ukraine, taking into account proposals from the parliamentary coalition at the Ukraine Verkhovna Rada," the bill says.
Candidates for government ministers recommended by the prime minister would have to be appointed by the parliament (the same provision is present in the current constitution).
The parliament will also be invested with the authority to appoint a defense and foreign minister recommended by the president.
Local self-government bodies may be invested with some executive powers under the law. The state shall finance the enforcement of these powers fully from the national budget or through transferring some national taxes to local budgets. The state shall also transfer some national properties to local self-government bodies.
The presidential bill amending the constitution has to be previously endorsed by a simple majority in the Verkhovna Rada.
The constitutional amendments themselves would be considered adopted if a constitutional majority, i.e. at least 300 parliamentarians, vote for them at the next Verkhovna Rada session.
