“Travelling parliament” laws get Presidential OK

The President’s site on Friday informed that the President had signed a number of the laws supposedly passed by the “alternative Verkhovna Rada session” organized by Speaker Rybak and other members of the ruling majority on 4 April. . 

The meeting was held on Bankova St and officially had a full majority of the total number of MPs. 

This cannot, however, be stated with certainty since opposition MPs were prevented from entering the premises where this “parliament” was meeting.

Concern has been expressed over the laws passed, as well as some rejected, including laws

A week earlier the High Administrative Court rejected a civil suit which had demanded that the laws be declared illegitimate.  Although the name of the claimant was not given, this may have been the suit lodged by Roman Doludaryov, head of the Donetsk Lusador Law Firm.  He had pointed in particular to the amendments made to the Law on the 2013 Budget which put the Ministry of Income and Excise in charge of 5 billion 888 million UAH.

The President’s decision to sign the laws comes after a number of commentators, including the head of Transparency International Ukraine, Oleksy Khmara were entirely blunt about the consequences of this travelling show for Ukraine’s dismal record on fighting corruption.  More details can be found here.