Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has announced the start of a nationwide debate on draft amendments to the country's Constitution proposed by him.
“I would like to announce that I am going to sign a decree to hold a
nationwide debate on a draft Constitution submitted by the president of
Ukraine. I am ready to listen to the opinion to be offered by each
Ukrainian,” Yushchenko said in an address marking Ukraine’s Independence
Day on Monday.
Such a debate will provoke a broad public response, which “will make
members of parliament think about their people, not about their seats,”
the president said.
Yushchenko reaffirmed that he favors the abolition of MPs’
legislative immunity, “which humiliates Ukrainian society”. It is also
necessary to reduce the number of seats in parliament, to make
parliamentary parties provide voters with reports about their
activities, to introduce open party lists and to increase the regions’
responsibility, he said.
“I want to see a strong state leadership in which all authorities,
duties and responsibilities are distributed between all branches of
power in line with democratic principles,” Yushchenko said.
The Constitution of Ukraine as an independent state was adopted on
June 28, 1996. A number of amendments to it came into force in 2006.
