No Compromise Reached. Already or Yet?

The search for a compromise between the parliamentary majority and minority is obviously drawn-out, if not gridlocked.

The majority will not have any of its decisions put to a second vote or a Verkhovna Rada session presided over by “neutral” People’s Deputy, Oleksandr Yemets of the Reforms Congress fraction said, adding that if a session cannot be brought to order and carried out normally on the Verkhovna Rada premises today, the majority will adjourn it and figure out to do next. Mr. Yemets noted that only two options exist under the circumstances: (a) the majority working and passing decisions separately and (b) early elections to Parliament.

He stressed again that the minority must acknowledge the decisions made by the majority on January 27 and February 1, and that the majority will secure all the rights vested in the Left factions.

The Left does not refuse to consider changes in the rules and elections of the leadership at the session, yet they propose to hear what the minority has to say first and vote on their proposals afterward, possibly with doors closed to the media.

The reader ought to remember that the current majority consists of 265 People’s Deputies, compared to the Verkhovna Rada’s total membership of 445 (the constitutional one being 450).

Meanwhile, yesterday’s traditional consensus council of parliamentary fractions and group leaders and heads of the parliamentary committees was not attended by anyone from the Left factions.

In the absence of the “Mensheviks,” the “Bolsheviks” discussed the legislative work schedule and the agenda of the forthcoming sittings of the fifth session. According to Viktor Omelych, chairman of the Rules Committee (Hromada), the latter proposes plenary proceedings for two weeks (February 7-18) and work in constituencies in the closing week. Under the tentative agenda for the current week, the lawmakers will deliberate, among other things, three tax bills on Tuesday, three versions of the referendum bill, a new wording of the law on the status of People’s Deputies, and a bill introducing changes in the law on protection and security arrangements.

However, without reaching a compromise, the agenda and all subsequent work of the current Parliament will be highly questionable.

Last night, the majority and minority planned another meeting, maybe this time they will succeed.