Deputies make little progress in adopting constitution (06/23/96)

Deputies make little progress in adopting constitution

by Marta Kolomayets
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - Although the Parliament registered a quorum on June 19 for the second reading of the draft constitution, the deputies did not make much progress toward adopting a new fundamental law for the citizens of Ukraine.

However, they promised to start examining the document on June 21.

The legislators spent the morning session on June 19 discussing the procedure for adopting the constitution in the second reading, with right-wing and centrist forces insisting that the draft law be examined as a "whole," which would enable the draft to be adopted in one day. Left-wing forces, including Communist Party leader Petro Symonenko, advocated adopting the constitution article by article (161 articles), which would enable them to discuss each point separately, and drag out the process for weeks, if not months.

Parliament Chairman Oleksander Moroz, who has used clever tactics to try to block the adoption of the new constitution, told Interfax-Ukraine on June 18 that he thinks the constitutional process will take "another few weeks and will end in the adoption of the constitution by Parliament." However, he added, that is providing the Supreme Council's work is not hampered in any way.

Uryadoviy Kurier (Government Cour-ier), the Ukrainian government newspaper, reported that the left-wingers have agreed to about 80 percent of the articles in the constitutional draft; however, they intend to pose problems on articles that deal with such issues of principle as language, Ukrainian national symbols (flag and trident) and private ownership.

Another member of the left, Natalia Vitrenko, argued that the deputies will have to take at least eight days to familiarize themselves with a comparative table of the draft constitution adopted in the first reading on June 4 and the version prepared for the second reading. This newly revised version takes into account comments, remarks and recommendations made by parliamentary deputies and incorporated into the draft by members of the ad hoc committee headed by Mykhailo Syrota.

Mr. Syrota said his committee had received more than 5,700 comments from the deputies; he noted the principles of the draft constitution, as adopted in the first reading, remain the same, adding that most changes were in regard to wording and style.

The ad hoc committee also submitted to the Supreme Council a draft resolution on the procedure to review the draft constitution, which provides for daily debates from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Sundays until the document is adopted. This suggestion did not pass in Parliament.

In the afternoon of June 19, however, the deputies did reach a compromise on procedure, voting 218-80 with 11 abstentions to begin examining the draft article by article beginning on Friday morning, June 21. The morning session (10 a.m. to noon) is scheduled to be a plenary meeting, with deputies breaking up into parliamentary groups and factions from 12:30 to 2 p.m. At 4 p.m. the council of factions - representing members of each group - is to meet to discuss the draft document.

However, national-democratic and centrist forces place little faith in the Supreme Council's power to adopt a new constitution and, according to Serhiy Teleshun, head of the domestic policy service of the presidential administration, deputies may turn to President Leonid Kuchma with a request that the draft document be submitted to a national referendum.

He did underscore, given Ukraine's economic problems, that it would be preferable for the Supreme Council to adopt a new constitution, because a national referendum would mean that the government would need to spend funds it does not have.

During a press briefing at the presidential administration on June 19, Mr. Teleshun told reporters that there are "about three or four articles in the draft that may cause differences among the deputies." He said these include an article banning the deployment of foreign military bases on Ukraine's territory, as well as provisions concerning the status of the Crimea, Ukraine's official language, national symbols and property.

Regarding the clause about the banning of foreign military bases on Ukrainian territory, all the members of the ad hoc committee voted for this measure - but for different reasons, explained Mr. Teleshun. The left-wingers do not want it because they are opposed to contacts with NATO, and the right-wingers do not want it because they are against creation of a CIS military-political bloc.

Ukraine's citizens remain divided on the draft of the constitution, as witnessed by the pickets outside of Parliament.

Citizens of western and central Ukraine have held meetings over the last few months in support of adopting the constitution, and more than 300 representatives of Rukh, the Ukrainian Republican Party, the Ukrainian National Assembly and other movements picketed the Parliament building on June 19 to demand that the draft be adopted.

Meanwhile, members of the Civic Congress of Ukraine party, a left-wing organization, picketed the Parliament on June 18, demanding that Russian be granted the status of a second official language, along with Ukrainian.

| Home Page |