Poroshenko says he will sign law on police soon
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said he will sign the bill on the national police soon.
"In the near future, I will sign the bill on the police which was passed by the Verkhovna Rada," the president said at a meeting in Odesa on Wednesday.
The president said that the full transfer to the new system of policing should take place in two or three months at the latest.
The Verkhovna Rada has adopted a bill defining the legal basis for the creation and functioning of the National Police of Ukraine and the status of police officers on July 2.
According to the document, the national police are a central executive agency that serves the public by ensuring the protection of human rights and freedoms, countering crimes, and maintaining law and order.
Under the law, the police system consists of the central department and local (territorial) police stations.
The system also includes criminal and patrol police, pre-trial investigation agencies, the police guards division, special police, and riot police.
The chief of the police shall be appointed and dismissed by the Cabinet of Ministers on the proposal of the prime minister in accordance with the provisions of the interior minister.
The police shall be coordinated and supervised by the Cabinet through the minister of internal affairs.
According to the amendments discussed in parliament before the vote, the draft law stipulates that the structure of the national police's central department shall be approved by its chief in agreement with the interior minister. A similar procedure has been designed for appointing the heads of territorial police stations.
The draft law stipulates that police officers may be involved in international peacekeeping and security operations.
The law becomes effective three months after the date of its publication, except for certain provisions. In particular, the provisions concerning Kyiv patrol police shall come into effect immediately after publication. The provisions concerning Odesa and Lviv patrol police shall come into force as of August 20, 2015.