The Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations recommends the Committee on Judicial Policy to facilitate the consideration of draft law #6240 and recommend the VRU to take it as a basis after the first reading. Experts of the Civil Network OPORA are also co-authors of the Draft Law on Electoral Rights of IDPs and Migrant Workers.
On 21 June, members of the Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations recommended the Committee on Judicial Policy and Justice to facilitate the consideration of the Law on Amendment of Some Laws of Ukraine (concerning the voting rights of internally displaced persons and other internal mobile groups of citizens) #6240 and recommend the VRU to take it as a basis after the first reading.
“Internally displaced persons face discrimination in voting today: they may be elected but can not vote themselves. This draft law is aimed to eliminate such discrimination of IDPs by making amendments to some laws of Ukraine regulating realization of voting rights of Ukrainian citizens,” – Head of the CommitteeHryhorii Nemyria stated.
Besides that, Head of the Committee told about joint efforts of co-authors aimed to promote this document. Besides that, a petition was sent to the VRU Chairman Andrii Parubii on 13 April, asking to send the draft law #6240 for consideration of the Venice Commission for assessment and preparation of its opinion on whether the draft law conforms to international principles and standards. It was signed by MPs co-authors of the draft law Hryhorii Nemyria, Valerii Patskan, Refat Chubarov, Heorhii Lohvynskyi, Iryna Lutsenko, Hanna Hopko, Svitlana Zalishchuk, Mustafa Naiiem, Oleksii Riabchyn, Nataliia Veselova, Oleksandr Chernenko, Viktoriia Ptashnyk and others.
Hryhorii Nemyria has informed that he received an answer from VRU Chairman Andrii Parubii on 17 May. According to the answer, “it is reasonable to appeal to the Venice Commission concerning the voting rights of IDPs after the Parliament determines the concept of the corresponding law (usually after realization of the first reading procedures).” Mr. Nemyria told he is concerned that VRU Chairman doesn't consider this issue topical today. The Committee Head has also informed that he has met the Special Advisor to Council of Europe's Secretary General for Ukraine Regis Brillat and asked to facilitate consideration of the draft law #6240 by the Venice Commission.
Civil Network OPORA's Analyst Oleksandr Kliuzhev, who is co-author of the draft law #6240, has also attended the meeting of Committee.
“OPORA believes that today's decision of Human Rights Committee opens opportunities for further consideration of voting rights issues faced by IDPs and migrant workers. I believe that it's a huge progress that the Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations exists and promotes the draft law #6240 despite politicization of the issue. However, it's important to get independent opinion of the Venice Commission. An impartial and independent analysis of the document will help to avoid the impact of politically biased arguments, apprehensions and prejudice. We call on each faction and group of MPs to discuss this draft law and inform the public about their position,” – the expert emphasized.
It should be mentioned that the Central Scientific Expert Office (CSEO) gave it opinion on the document on 20 April. It believes that the draft law #6240 can be adopted after the first reading with consideration of remarks.
We remind that the draft law #6240 was registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on 27 March 2017. This document suggests amendment of the Law of Ukraine on the State Register of Voters, Law on the Rights and Freedoms of Internally Displaced Persons, and Law on Local Elections, goaled to guarantee voting rights of internally displaced persons and other mobile groups in the country.
The draft law was developed by experts of the Civil Network OPORA AUNGO, Hrupa Vplyvu Civil Holding NGO, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), MPs of Ukraine, and with participation of representatives from NGOs Donbass SOS, Human Rights Information Center, Crimea SOS, the Right for Protection Charitable Foundation, and East-SOS Charitable Fund. Besides that, members of the Interdepartmental Working Group on improvement of IDPs human rights legislation under the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs Affairs (including representatives of UN Refugee Agency and the Council of Europe) have also participated in discussion of the draft law.
24 MPs have put their signatures under the draft law, namely Hryhorii Nemyria, Mustafa Naiiem, Svitlana Zalishchuk, Refat Chubarov, Mustafa Dzhemiliev, Ostap Yednak, Hanna Hopko and others. There are both unaffiliated and faction representatives among co-authors of the bill: Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction – 11 MPs, People's Front – 2, AUU Batkivshchyna – 3, Opposition Bloc –2, Radical Party of Oleh Liashko – 1, Samopomich –1, unaffiliated or non-group – 4. Thus, the bill has more chances to be adopted since it is already widely supported by MPs. It should be mentioned, that regional representation of MPs who signed it is also quite wide: city of Kyiv, Donetsk, Lviv, Zakarpattia, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia, Rivne, Cherkasy oblasts and the AR of Crimea.