Speaker Saga Canceled

June 19 Verkhovna Rada did not put on the agenda draft resolutions on removing the parliamentary leadership. All three drafts to remove Speaker Ivan Pliushch, First Deputy Viktor Medvedchuk, and Deputy Speaker Stepan Havrysh were submitted by a group of people’s deputies belonging to the Communist fraction. The bill to remove Mr. Pliushch was supported by 146 deputies, 51 voted against it, and one people’s deputy abstained. 138 out of 336 registered deputies did not vote. Putting on the agenda the issue of recalling Mr. Medvedchuk was supported by 185 votes with 43 against, and 2 abstentions. 106 deputies did not vote. For Mr. Havrysh the figures were 144, 45, 3, and 140 respectively.