06.03.2003 # 6

President Leonid Kuchma is proposing to the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) to confine the right of the president to appoint ministers to the appointment of the ministers of Internal Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Defense and the Minister of Emergency Situations. President Kuchma made such statement in a nation-wide address aired by the television channel UT-1. Moreover, Kuchma proposes to parliament to appoint the Prime Minister, the nominee of which the President proposes, and ministers, while at the same time the Cabinet of Ministers appoints the heads of other agencies of the executive branch of government. In the opinion of the President, such a scheme will result in a clearly defining the responsibility of government bodies and individual politicians. “As such, it will be clear to everyone who takes answers for what in the state,” Kuchma stated. Kuchma also proposes to allow the President to appoint heads of State administrations of regions and districts based upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister. In August 2002 Kuchma proposed to conduct political reform, in the course of which there will be a transition from a presidential-parliamentary to a parliamentary-presidential system of government. Such a reform envisages the giving to parliament the right to form the Cabinet of Ministers and the introduction of a system of elections to parliament only from political parties.
 
 

President Leonid Kuchma is proposing the creation of a bi-cameral parliament, the upper chamber of which is to be elected from representatives of the regions and the lower chamber – from political parties. Kuchma made such statement in a nation-wide address aired by the television channel UT-1. Kuchma also proposed to render to the President the right to dissolve parliament in case of its inability to form a majority, as well as in view of the inability of the majority to form a Cabinet of Ministers and given the inability of parliament to pass the budget for the country. He also proposed to conduct elections to parliament and the local councils, and also presidential elections within one year, while stipulating for all of these bodies the same length of tenure – 5 years. In the All-Ukrainian referendum that took place in April 2000, Ukrainians voted in favor of rendering to the President additional rights with respect to dissolving parliament, as well as lifting the immunity of deputies, reduction in the number of parliamentarians and formation of parliament on a two chamber foundation. In January 2001, parliament created a special commission, on behalf of which draft laws will be brought forth, aimed at implementation of the results of the All-Ukrainian referendum.