Watch in the TV program Dear Deputies, joint project of the Civil Network OPORA and the 5th Channel, broadcasted on June 23, 2013: when MPs will take a decision on elections in five problematic districts; top 5 ridiculous laws for the last six month, journalists visit Serhii Mishchenko, elected in single-member district.
MPs haven't adopted the law on elections in 5 districts yet. However, the Venice Commission published its opinion on the Law on Elections, proposed by the Ministry of Justice. Generally, international experts positively assessed Ukraine. They say it's moving forward by amending electoral legislation, but still there are drawbacks which should be removed, and the international community is waiting for a new wording to be approved.
Mr Péter Paczolay, President of the Constitutional Court of Hungary, Member of the Venice Commission: "There is a problem with unification of the Election Code, which covers main principles and rules of all elections. Possibilities for nomination of candidates, as well as rights of convicted, citizens and non-citizens are limited. Besides that, requirements to the place of residence should be less strict when people want to use their right to vote. Another issue – is monitoring of the election campaign, non-transparency of financing, and restrictions on freedom of expression."
Jessie Pilgrim, expert of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights: "What disturbs us most – are rules established before the game, who will be on the field, equal opportunities and rules which will secure that everyone could score a goal, – that is important. It's a big problem if you will never enter the game. People have the right to access state governance, to choose and be chosen, to participate in government activities. This very law limits these rights – 5 years of living in Ukraine, and restrictions for those were convicted. There is also a problem with appealing against the elections. The conclusions clearly state that those submitted appeals know how difficult it is to get any legal protection."
Ukrainian experts agree with most of remarks, but say that some issues are impossible to implement in Ukrainian reality. In particular, widening the powers of district election commissions, provided by the new electoral law.
Olha Aivazovska, Electoral and Political Programs Coordinator of the Civil Network OPORA stated: "Changing some procedures of determining voter results, particularly receiving electoral documentation by separate groups in the DEC. We all remember how protocols can be returned to the PEC for so-called specification, and sent back to the District Election Commission with totally different numbers. If this process will made by groups, which cannot be politically controlled, it will end up in rewritten protocols with nobody aware of this.
In the rubric "Law-maker", journalists told about the most ridiculous bills drafted during first six months of the VRU of VIIconvocation.
Thus, in the bill #2180a, drafted by the CPU member Petro Tsybenko, prohibits renaming streets, lanes, avenues, parks, squares, bridges, and other buildings named after servicemen-heroes, Red Army soldiers, partisans, undergrounders, Red Army units, and events connected to the Great Patriotic War.
Iryna Farion and Yurii Mykhalchyshyn proposed in their bill to remove the term "Great Patriotic War" from school textbooks. Representatives of the opposition Hennadii Moskal and Vitalii Yarema decided to establish criminal liability for illegal video surveillance in public places. Volodymyr Oliinyk from the Party of Regions proposed a law on protection of internet space, threating internet publications.