Звіти

This year, the Parliament was blocked during the longest time for the whole period of independence. During its seven convocations, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has seen two and a half political crises, which ended with dismissal of the parliament in 1994, 2007, and 2008. Besides that, the speaker's rostrum was blocked 20 times. These data were published by the Civil Network OPORA.

Contemporary traditions of obstructing the work of MPs and blocking the parliament were founded in 2000 by the Communist Party of Ukraine and left political forces. The YTB-Fatherland party (Yuliia Tymoshenko Block) has initiated (or participated in) more than a half of parliamentary confrontations which we have noted. The Communist Party and the Party of Regions were less active – they have initiated or participated in around one fourth (25%) of incidents when the Verkhovna Rada was blocked. The Our Ukraine party which was parliamentary until quite recently, has taken a close position. Representatives of the People's Party, a non-parliamentary faction (in VII convocation), were the least active in protecting their views by blocking the parliament.

The parliament was blocked for the longest time:

  1. Parliamentary action with a slogan "NATO - no!": January 18 – March 5, 2008, with a one-day break (47 days).
  2. Counteraction to reelection of the management of the Verkhovna Rada (so-called "velvet revolution"): January 18 – February 8, 2000 (21 days).
  3. Counteraction to "button-pushers" (non-personal voting): February 5 – February 22, 2013 (17 days).

The largest number of MPs participated in blocking:  

  1. Parliamentary action with a slogan "NATO - no!" January 18 – March 5, 2008, with a one-day break (47 days). Initiated by the Party of Regions (175 MPs), the Communist Party of Ukraine (27 MPs). The average number of MPs participated in blocking – 202 MPs.
  2. Counteraction to the appointment of a new Head of the National Bank of Ukraine (Serhii Tihipko instead of Volodymyr Stelmakh): December 12-14, 2002 (12 days). Initiators – the Our Ukraine (103 MPs), the Yuliia Tymoshenko Block (18 MPs), the Communist Party of Ukraine (60 MPs), the Socialist party of Ukraine (20 MPs). The average number of MPs participated in blocking – 201 MPs.
  3. Creation of so-called anti-crisis coalition: June 27 – July 6, 2006 (10 days). Initiators – the Party of Regions (186 MPs).

The Parliament was the most actively blocked in 2008. Only during 5 month of 12, there were no confrontations in the Verkhovna Rada.

It is particularly interesting, that every prolonged blocking of the parliament was preceded by formation of a new composition of the Cabinet of Ministers. Before the VR was blocked in January-February 2000, Viktor Yushchenko was appointed as a Prime Minister; before the blocking in 2002 – a new government headed by Mr. Yanukovich was formed; before the blocking on the beginning of 2008 – Yuliia Tymoshenko was appointed as a Prime Minister; before the parliament was blocked this year (2013) – a new Cabinet of Ministers headed by Mykola Azarov was formed.

Detailed information about blocking the parliament in Ukraine and abroad, see at:http://oporaua.org/news/3682-ukrajinski-praktyky-blokuvannja-parlamentu

For comment, please contact:
Olha Aivazovska,
coordinator of electoral and parliamentary programs,
063 617 97 50, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 
The Civil Network OPORA - is a non-governmental, non-political and financially independent all-Ukrainian network of activists. We united to enhance public participation in the political process by developing and implementing models of citizen participation in the activities of state and local governments.