Last Thursday Verkhovna Rada at last managed to pass the law on the proportional representation elections of people’s deputies. This occurred half an hour before midnight because it had taken twelve hours to discuss hundreds of amendments. One must give the people’s deputies their due: as stubbornly the opponents filibustered, the passage of the law, calling for discussing absolutely unimportant and impassable amendments (only nine out of 925 were approved), so stoically the proponents put up with the escapades of their colleagues. In the long run, the display board announced that, out of the 305 deputies who voted, 255 supported for and 4 opposed the bill, with the Our Ukraine and BYuT factions abstaining. The adopted law is expected to take effect on October 1, 2005.
Under the new law, parliamentary elections are to be held on the basis of party and bloc lists in one nationwide national constituency. The entry barrier for parties and blocs was lowered from 4% to 3%. The election campaign was extended from 90 to 120 days and the money deposit for parties was raised from UAH 255,000 (15,000 untaxed minimums) to UAH 512,500 (2,500 minimums). The law also reduces the voting time on election day by one hour and introduces transparent ballot boxes. The elections are to be financed exclusively at the expense of the nation’s budget and the election funds of the parties and blocs whose members have been registered as candidates by the Central Electoral Commission. The election fund of a party or bloc is maintained at the expense of the party’s own resources as well as through the voluntary contributions by individuals. A single voluntary contribution by an individual into the election fund should not exceed 400 minimal wages (UAH 82,000 at present). The law prohibits voluntary contributions from foreign citizens or individuals without citizenship as well as anonymous donors. Candidates can be nominated by a party registered at least a year before the election day or by a bloc if its constituent parties meet the same requirement. The priority order of the candidates on the list is determined at a party congress or conference. The new law prescribes that the election campaign can begin seventy days before Election Day and must end at midnight on the last Friday before the election day. In addition, the law prohibits placing political promotion items on public transport.
In sum, the last serious obstacle to implementing the political reform has been cleared. The all too difficult process of introducing a proportional system could not avoid a struggle. According to parliamentary majority coordinator Stepan Havrysh, trouble developed in the Rada computerized display system when the overall law was voted on. As a result, about twenty-five votes in support of the document were not taken into account, Mr. Havrysh told The Day’s correspondent. The majority coordinator also opined that, as the display system had never malfunctioned before, the latest trouble was provoked by so-called vested interests. He did not specifically name these interests. In his view, the parliament will soon establish a commission to inquire into this incident. “We must be sure that the same thing will not happen when Constitutional amendments are being voted upon,” Mr. Havrysh said. The majority coordinator also told The Day he was certain that the Constitutional amendments bill would muster at least 300 votes for the final voting scheduled for April 6-9.







