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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

State Revenues to be Controlled

25 May, 1999 - 00:00

By Vyacheslav YAKUBENKO, The Day
On May 20 Parliament made another move to considerably restrict the executive
in managing budget income, using them for other than designated purposes
(e.g., election campaigns), carrying out the fourth, penultimate stage
of amending the Constitution. Verkhovna Rada passed a resolution appointing
hearings on amending Article 98 in its next session.

The revised text reads: "Parliament's control over the formation and
implementation of the state budget, concerning its revenues and expenditures,
shall be exercised by the Accounting Chamber." People's Deputy Serhiy Teriokhin
told The Day's Vyacheslav YAKUBENKO that it will not be difficult
to collect the 300 votes necessary to secure this new prerogative for the
Accounting Chamber, for the people must know exactly where all the money
received as tax money is channeled through their representatives in Parliament,
adding that "the executive actually use their authority to conceal certain
revenues."

It is unfortunate that changes in the Constitution are not likely to
affect the presidential campaign; the amendment will be put to the vote
approximately one month before the election date.

In the meantime the Constitutional Court ruled that lawmakers have no
right to address requests or proposals to presiding and other judges with
regard to whatever case is being handled by them. In addition, a Deputy's
request addressed to the SBU leadership cannot be regarded as an instruction
to collect intelligence concerning certain citizens, except when and if
such a request contains ample data pointing to a criminal offense, reports
The Day's Oksana PANCHENKO.

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