7 year sinecure?

The Verkhovna Rada on Monday voted today to extend the term of office of the Human Rights Ombudsperson. The amendments to the Law on the Human Rights Ombudsperson gained the votes of 248 National Deputies.

The law states that the Ombudsperson is appointed for seven years with this term beginning when the person takes his or her oath. In theory this does not apply to the serving Ombudsperson, Nina Karpachova. In practice this remains to be seen.  The law has been passed by a coalition dominated by the party Ms Karpachova was for a good part of 2006 a National Deputy of, before deciding to return to her post as Ombudsperson. This degree of political engagement was the main reasons why civic society put forward their own candidate.  The present Ombudsperson’s fairly passive role, her passing on complaints of, for example, prisoners to those whose actions are being complained about, etc, have also caused considerable concern.