Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko signed on Monday a decree on holding a nationwide debate on draft amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine submitted by the president.
The public debate should be completed by December 1 2009, according to the decree posted on the president’s Web site.
The National Institute of Strategic Studies will have to summarize
the results of the nationwide discussion of the proposed bill by
representatives from human rights and other public organizations,
scientists and experts, before December 15.
The decree becomes effective on the date of signing.
Speaking on the Independence Square on the occasion of the 18th
anniversary of Ukraine’s independence a day earlier, Yuschenko set out
the main provisions of his proposed constitutional reform.
The draft changes to the Constitution were sent to the parliament
for consideration in March 2009, he said. “Until now the Verkhovna Rada
has been unable to consider them, and I am convinced it never will be.
Therefore, I would like to announce that I am signing a decree on
conducting a nationwide debate of the draft constitution proposed by
the Ukrainian president. I am ready to hear the opinion of every
Ukrainian,” he said.
