Opposition ends parliamentary blockade

Ukraine’s parliament convened on Feb. 22 following a two-week blockade by opposition MPs, who demanded that voting occur using sensors rather than cards, ensuring that votes aren’t cast for absent MPs. In the compromise, 339 MPs representing all five factions voted on changes to the bylaws that stipulate the confiscation of the voting cards of absent MPs upon establishment of the fact that it had been used to cast a vote by a present MP. The parliamentary head is supposed to halt proceedings when such a fact is raised by MPs. Another legislative item approved on Friday was a resolution reaffirming Ukraine’s commitment to signing the Association Agreement.

Zenon Zawada: The two-week conflict had motives that went beyond the simple issue of personal voting, although that should be a basic, essential rule of parliamentary order. For the majority, its MPs had to prove they wouldn’t capitulate or be baited into embarrassing maneuvers, such as a forceful reclaiming of the presidium that would have looked bad in the EU’s eyes. For the opposition, they needed to rally around a cause that would impress their voters and demonstrate to the EU the majority’s anti-democratic practices. We expect this won’t be the last conflict over personal voting and it will remain a pretext for the opposition to block sessions as a form of political protest, or when the majority’s rule-bending gets out of hand.