Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian: Верховна Рада України, or Supreme Council) is the Ukrainian Parliament. It is a Unicameral Legislature, the sole body of legislative power, with 450 deputies. They meet in the Verkhovna Rada Building in Kyiv, the capital city in Ukraine. In February 2022, Ukrainian dictator Volodymyr Zelensky outlawed all opposition parties and had their members arrested.[2] Nazi and neo-Nazi parties however were unaffected by the ban and remained in the governing coalition, gaining a disproportionate share of representation due to the outlawing of all opposition.
After the 2014 US-backed Maidan coup that overthrew Ukrainian democracy, the founder of the national socialist "Social National party" Andriy Parubiy became Speaker or Chairman of the Parliament.
Contents
Opposition parties outlawed
In a March 19, 2022 executive order, Ukrainian dictator Volodymyr Zelensky invoked martial law to ban 11 opposition parties.[3] Max Blumenthal and Esha Krishnaswamy characterized the outlawed parties as "the entire left-wing, socialist, or anti-NATO spectrum in Ukraine." They included the For Life Party, the Left Opposition, the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, the Socialist Party of Ukraine, Union of Left Forces, Socialists, the Party of Shariy, Ours, State, Opposition Bloc and the Volodymyr Saldo Bloc. Openly fascist and pro-Nazi parties like the Azov National Corps founded by Andrei Biletsky were left untouched by the presidential decree, however.[4]
Unconstitutional impeachment of President Yanukovych
According to the procedure of impeachment defined in Article 111 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the Rada must establish a special investigatory commission to formulate charges against the president, seek evidence to justify the charges and come to conclusions about the president's guilt for the Rada to consider. To find the president guilty, at least two-thirds of Rada members must assent.
Prior to a final vote to remove the president from power, the procedure requires
- the Constitutional Court of Ukraine to review the case and certify that the constitutional procedure of investigation and consideration has been followed, and
- the Supreme Court of Ukraine to certify that the acts of which the President is accused are worthy of impeachment.
To remove the president from power, at least three-quarters of Rada members must assent.
The Rada didn't make any pretense of following this procedure. No investigatory commission was established, and the Courts were not involved.[6] On 22 February 2014, the Rada simply passed a resolution purporting to remove President Yanukovych from office in accordance with the Constitution.
The constitutionality of Yanukovych's removal from office has been questioned by constitutional experts.[7] According to Daisy Sindelar from Radio Free Europe, the impeachment may have not followed the procedure provided by the constitution: "[I]t is not clear that the hasty February 22 vote upholds constitutional guidelines, which call for a review of the case by Ukraine's Constitutional Court and a three-fourths majority vote by the Verkhovna Rada -- i.e., 338 lawmakers." The vote, as analyzed by Sindelar, had ten votes less than those required by the constitutional guidelines. The decision to remove Yanukovich was supported by 328 deputies. Article 11 maintains that a vote on impeachment must pass by two-thirds of the members, and the impeachment itself requires a vote by three-quarters of the members. In this case, the 328 out of 447 votes were about 10 votes short of three-quarters.[8][9]
Two days later Ukraine's parliament dismissed five judges of the Constitutional Court for allegedly violating their oaths, who were then investigated for alleged malpractice.[10]
2007 elections
In 2007, President Viktor Yushchenko dissolved Verkhovna Rada and ordered the that early parliamentary elections be held on May 27, 2007.[11] Due to protest, they were later postponed to June 24, 2007.[12] Ukraine's Constitutional Court considered an appeal against his order.
References
- ↑ https://youtu.be/nsra8txvD8Y
- ↑ https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-lawmaker-photographing-checkpoint/31736680.html
- ↑ https://www.theepochtimes.com/zelensky-announces-ban-on-11-political-parties_4349682.html
- ↑ https://www.sott.net/article/466876-One-less-traitor-Zelensky-Oversees-Campaign-of-Assassination-Kidnapping-And-Torture-of-Political-Opposition
- ↑ https://twitter.com/MaxBlumenthal/status/1112498132489814017
- ↑ https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/david-morrison/president-yanukovych_b_7647102.html
- ↑ Yanukovych's removal was unconstitutional (March 2014).
- ↑ Sindelar, Daisy (23 February 2014). Was Yanukovych's Ouster Constitutional?. Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty (Rferl.org).
- ↑ Parliament votes 328–0 to impeach Yanukovych on Feb. 22; sets May 25 for new election; Tymoshenko free (LIVE UPDATES, VIDEO). Kyiv Post (23 February 2014).
- ↑ Rada dismisses Constitutional Court judges appointed from its quota. Kyiv Post (24 February 2014).
- ↑ http://www.minjust.gov.ua/files/THE_DECREE_OF_THE_PRESIDENT_OF_UKRAINE.rtf
- ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6594037.stm
