Rada may consider reducing number of Ukrainian MPs at next session

The Verkhovna Rada may approve bill No. 1017, which provides for a reduction in the number of Ukrainian MPs from 450 to 300 and introduces a proportional electoral system, during the next session, which begins on February 4.
Verkhovna Rada Speaker Dmytro Razumkov said this on the Freedom of Speech talk show on the ICTV television channel on January 20, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"I think so [that the parliament plans to ensure the prior approval of a draft law reducing the number of people's deputies]. There is a decision of the Constitutional Court," Razumkov said.

At the same time, he commented on a negative opinion of the Constitutional Court regarding a draft law on the early termination of a lawmaker's powers.

"I cannot talk about it as the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, but I can do it as a citizen of my own state. Unfortunately, the Constitutional Court did not support the proposals that were sent to it concerning the early termination of the powers of a people's deputy for piano voting and absence from work, that is, in fact, for the failure to fulfill official duties. And personally I am sorry that is the case. I think, nevertheless, if an MP votes for another person or does not perform his or her functions, then he or she has nothing to do in the Verkhovna Rada. Let them do something else," Razumkov added.

On September 3, 2019, the Verkhovna Rada sent bill No. 2017 to the Constitutional Court. The decision to recognize this document was made at a meeting of the Grand Chamber of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine on December 16.

On January 13, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Legal Policy recommended that parliament approve this document at first reading.

In addition, on December 26, 2019, the Constitutional Court found that bill No. 1027 concerning additional grounds for early termination of the powers of a people's deputy of Ukraine was not in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution of Ukraine.

In particular, the Constitutional Court found that personal voting is a categorical requirement for a member of parliament. But at the same time, the automatic loss of a mandate based on a court establishing the fact of non-personal voting, according to Constitutional Court judges, will not meet the requirement of propriety.

Also, the Constitutional Court does not consider it appropriate to suspend the mandate of a member of parliament in his or her absence without reasonable excuse at a third of the plenary meetings of the Verkhovna Rada and/or the meetings of a Verkhovna Rada committee of which he or she is a member, during one regular session.