In TV program Dear Deputies of June 30, 2013: a week of parliamentary activities in districts – journalists are visiting Oleh Liashko; results of expert inquiries on the efficiency of the VRU; verbatim records of committees.

Ukrainian parliamentarism has some peculiarities. From May 22 to June 1, 2013 the Civil Network OPORA was conducting an Expert poll "The Verkhovna Rada of VII convocation:first results." The research was aimed at assessment of internal parliamentary processes, role of the Parliament in society and the state government system, as well as topical directions for the future parliamentary activities. 40 experts, particularly representatives of specialized NGOs, parliamentary journalists and editors of the national media, leading scientists, sociologists, political scientists and political technologists, participated in the poll.

Yuliia Bankova and Andrii Saichuk have chosen three questions:

  1.   Which political subjects influence parliamentary activities most?
  2.  Had the VRU Chairman Volodymyr Rybak shown the ability to organize efficient and stable activities of the Parliament within his authority?
  3.   Was the division of regulatory functions and leading positions in committees of the VRU between pro-power and opposition forces fair?

According to the experts, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is rather dependent than independent subject when it comes to taking important for the country decisions. The President of Ukraine, the Party of Regions Faction, and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine have the greatest impact on the functioning of Parliament.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak didn't manage to demonstrate equally distant position to parties, factions, the President, and the Government, as well as proper level of political independence. As a result, this circumstance complicates establishing stable and efficient activities of the Parliament.

The division of regulatory functions and leading positions in committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine between pro-power and opposition forces was quite unjust. According to the inquired, an off-site sitting, conducted by pro-power MPs on 4 April, 2013 created threatening preconditions for neglecting any opinion of the opposition.

Andrii Saichuk: "To sum up, experts see the Verkhovna Rada as not influential and ineffective, with poor management and constant encroachment of the opposition rights."

Journalists were trying to find out why VRU committees do not keep verbatim records of their meetings.

Grafit - VR12 speech recognition system secures keeping verbatim record of MP's statements during plenary sittings of the Parliament, meetings of Conciliation Board of parliamentary factions, Committees, temporary special and investigation commissions. State Administrative Office of the Verkhovna Rada has spent almost a million for this purpose. While verbatim records of plenary meetings and statements of MPs are published on the official site of the Parliament, records of Committees and temporary investigation commissions are not fully available.

Obligation to keep verbatim records of MP's statements is determined by the law. According to the Law on Committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, "Minutes and verbatim record of the Committee are official documents, which prove the discussion process and decision making, opinion and recommendations of the Committee." The Law on the Rules of Procedure of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine contains similar regulation. Speech recognition system should have secured verbatim record of plenary sittings of the Verkhovna Rada, as well as meetings of the Conciliation Board of parliamentary factions, Committees, temporary special and investigation commissions.

Technically, Grafit - VR12 speech recognition system consists of almost 30 automated workplaces, several servers, blocks, and network equipment. The most expensive part of the system is software, which had cost taxpayers 250 thousand UAH. It was developed by the RPE (Research and Production Enterprise) Omega LLC. This company had won the tender on updating the automated stenography system in the Verkhovna Rada. However, nobody else participated in the contest. The Grafit system was updated in 1994, 1999, and 2004.

According to the information provided by the Apparatus of the Verkhovna Rada in its official answer to information request sent by OPORA, 20 of 29 committees keep verbatim records of their meetings. The Law of Ukraine on Access to Public Information provides that documents which contain socially important data shall be published by government bodies on their official sites. Still, only the Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information and the Committee on Culture and Spirituality are regularly publishing verbatim records in Internet.

MP Leonid Yemets promised to learn why not all the committees keep verbatim records of their meetings.