Ukraine parliament won’t vote on amendments this week

Ukraine’s parliament won’t vote for constitutional amendments this week, Speaker Volodymyr Hroisman told the Inter television network on Jan. 24. More time is needed to hold more discussions with MPs, he said. In addition, parliament is waiting for a constitutional court ruling that might enable postponing the vote until the next session, he said.

Instead, parliament will consider legislation on visa-free regime requirements, a separate set of amendments, and possible Cabinet dismissals, said Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in a Jan. 24 interview with television networks.

The approval for constitutional amendments has to occur “against the background of obvious and decisive progress in implementing the Minsk accords, which were supposed to be fulfilled by the end of 2016,” Poroshenko said in a Jan. 23 address to the Association of Cities of Ukraine. In particular, the vote must correspond with the return of Ukrainian control over Ukraine-Russia border, he said.

“There should be a full cease-fire; the release of hostages; access to the OSCE; the removal of Russian regular forces, mercenaries and military hardware beyond Ukraine’s borders, elections according to Ukrainian legislation and upholding OSCE standards,” Poroshenko said.

Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk called for a nationwide referendum to approve the constitutional amendments in his weekly address on Jan. 24.

Zenon Zawada: If the constitutional amendments will truly have to correspond with progress in resolving the Donbas war, it’s doubtful they will ever be brought to a vote. If they do reach a vote, the 300 MPs voting in favor will be going against much public opposition that opposes establishing the de facto Donbas autonomy. In which case, Yatsenyuk’s proposal for a referendum makes the amendments’ approval even more unrealistic.