Today, on 7 June, two draft resolutions concerning rotations in the CEC were published on website of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The President's submission contains 8 nominees suggested by parliamentary factions and 3 new candidates. Thus, the President included nominees submitted by the Petro Poroshenko Bloc 'Solidarity', People's Front, Samopomich Union and Revival Party group of MPs.

OPORA has reported earlier that the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko announced at his 3 June press-conference that he had submitted the Resolution of on appointment of the Central Election Commission members on the same day.

We remind that 12 of 14 CEC members have had their seven-year term of office expired yet on 1 June 14. However, their term of office was extended to prevent interruption of the presidential election campaign. Thus, parliamentary factions and groups of MPs submitted Petro Poroshenko candidates for consideration yet in autumn 2015. The total number of suggested candidates was 30.According to the Law of Ukraine on the Central Election Commission, the President of Ukraine should include candidates suggested by factions and groups of MPs of the current convocation of the Parliament to the list of candidates for CEC members, submitted for appointment. The President of Ukraine is the only person authorized to select nominees for CEC members, who are going to be considered by the Parliament, from the suggested list of candidates.

However, this process took quite a long time. Thus, on 16 November 2015, Higher Administrative Court of Ukraine has ruled that inaction of the President of Ukraine, particularly a failure to appoint new members of the CEC, is illegitimate. However, the President hasn't yet executed the court decision. After all the national and local elections had finished, civic and expert organizations made statements demanding rotations in the CEC.

After all, there is a draft Resolution #4789 on Discharge of Central Election Commission Members published on website of the Verkhovna Rada, referencing to the Article 85(1.21) of the Constitution of Ukraine, according to which 12 commission members shall be discharged: “To discharge the following members of the Central Election Commission, which term of office has expired: Astakhova Tamara Valeriivna, Danylevskyi Yurii Mykolaiovych, Zhydenko Ihor Hryhorovych, Lukash Tetiana Leonidivna, Mahera Andrii Yosypovych, Okhendovskyi Mykhailo Volodymyrovych, Raikovskyi Bronislav Stanislavovych, Usenko-Chorna Zhanna Ivanivna, Chupakhin Oleksandr Mykhailovych, Shvets Yuliia Viktorivna, Shelestov Oleksandr Mykolaiovych, Sheludko Valerii Yevhenovych.”

Draft 4790 contains only 11 names of candidates for CEC members. Thus, they are: Alla Basalaieva (suggested by the Revival Party group of MPs), Mykhailo Verbenskyi (Petro Poroshenko Bloc 'Solidarity'), Roman Hreba («Narodnyi front»), Olha Zheltova (Petro Poroshenko Bloc 'Solidarity'), Oleh Konopolskyi (Petro Poroshenko Bloc 'Solidarity'), Svitlana Kustova (Petro Poroshenko Bloc 'Solidarity'), Olha Lotiuk (Petro Poroshenko Bloc 'Solidarity'), Vitalii Plukar (Petro Poroshenko Bloc 'Solidarity'), Yevhen Radchenko (Samopomich Union), Nadiia Synytsia (probably the People's Front), Leontii Shypilov (People's Front).

Both resolutions are sent to the Committee on Judicial Policy and Justice for consideration.

REFERENCE:

Mykhailo Verbenskyi

Born in 1956.

Education: Finished the High Political School of the MIA in 1986 and the USSR Academy of the MIA in 1992. PhD candidate in political science.

Has been working at internal affairs since 1976. 1995-1997 – Deputy Head of the Legal Support Department – Head of the Departmental Legal Acts Drafting Office at the MIA of Ukraine. 1997-1998 – – Deputy Head of the Main Headquarters of the MIA of Ukraine – Head of the Legal Support Department. Since 1998 – First Deputy Head of the Main Headquarters of the MIA of Ukraine. Since June 2001 – Deputy Head of the State Department for Execution of Punishments of Ukraine.

Became the Head of the Main Headquarters of the MIA of Ukraine in 2005.

Was appointed to the position of Director of the MIA Department for Monitoring, Organization and Inspection.

Was a member of Expert Council on Human Rights and Reforming of the MIA  under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine

Leontii Shypilov

Born in 1977.

Education: Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University. Defended PhD thesis in 2004.

Associate Professor of the International Law and Special Legal Disciplines Department at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy.

Assistant to MP of Ukraine of VIII convocation Mykola Velychkovych (fixed-term labor contract, holding of more than one office).

Adviser to the First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Was #134 candidate in electoral list of the Vitalii Klychko's UDAR party in 2012 Parliamentary elections.

 

Yevhen Radchenko

Born in 1973.

Worked as an international observer, supervisor of the international observers group, consultant at election headquarters, supervisor of the legal advisors group at electoral headquarters. 1994 – 2004 – Deputy Head of the Board of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine. 2004 – 2005 – Electoral Programs Coordinator at American Bar Association (ABA/CEELI). 2005 – 2008 – Advisor in Electoral Matters and Administration to OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine.

Development Director of the Internews-Ukraine NGO. Since 2009 – Venice Commission expert. Worked in elections in 14 countries.

Was assistant to MP of Ukraine Volodymyr Stretovych in the IV convocation of the Verkhovna Rada.

Co-authored the bill #2831-2 on Local Elections, which didn't receive enough voted on 18 June 2015.

Co-authored the draft Law on Elections of People's Deputies of Ukraine #1068-2 as of 11 December 2014.

Olha Lotiuk

Born in 1973.

Education: Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, Legal Department. Defended PhD thesis in 1998 for PhD candidate in legal science.

Since 2002 – Associate Professor of the Constitutional and Administrative Law Department at Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University. Specializes in constitutional law, and comparative constitutional law.

Was voluntary assistant to MP of Ukraine of IV convocation Mykola Onyshchuk, representing the For United Ukraine bloc.

Was nominated for MP of Ukraine in 2006 by the Nova Syla All-Ukrainian party (#2 in electoral list).

Olha Zheltova

Born in 1964.

Deputy Head of the Secretariat of the Committee on Judicial Policy and Justice of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of VIII convocation.

Assistant to MP of Ukraine of IV convocation Yurii Kliuchkovskyi.

Co-author of the draft Law #6531-2 on Amendments to the Law of Ukraine on Elections of People's Deputies of Ukraine of 28 April 2005.

Svitlana Kustova

Born in 1979.

Legal Advisor at the Moor and Partners Counselor Company LLC. Specializes in: civil law, election law and political process, constitutional law, tax law, court practices.

Was MP candidate #145 in electoral list of the Our Ukraine - People's Self-Defense bloc in 30 September 2007 parliamentary elections.

Was a proxy to the Petro Poroshenko Bloc party in 26 October 2014 early parliamentary elections in Ukraine.

Was a voluntary assistant to MPs of IV – VIII convocations: Mykota Katerynchuk (IV-V convocations), Roman Zvarych (VI convocation), Petro Poroshenko (VIII convocation), and Iryna Friz (VIII convocation).

Vitalii Plukar

Born in 1986.

Education: Defended PhD thesis in 2011 for PhD candidate in political science in Lviv State University of Internal Affairs.

Head of Office for Monitoring of Local Authorities Activities and Support of their Law-making Initiatives, Local Self-Government and Decentralization Department at the Administration of the President of Ukraine.

Was assistant (paid) to MP of Ukraine Valerii Karpuntsov, elected to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of VII convocation in the list of the Vitalii Klychko's UDAR party.

 

Alla Basalaieva

Born in 1981.

Judge Darnytsia District Court in Kyiv (recommendation of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine as of 14 November 2011).

Was the Head of Department for Representation of CEC Interests in Courts at Legal Department of the Commission Secretariat.

Roman Hreba

Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Deputy Head of the Apparatus of the Ministry of Education and Science.