The Verkhovna Rada has resumed work after the recess amid protests. Parliamentarians are preparing for personnel appointments in the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada is returning to work: after a month’s recess, the people’s deputies are starting a new parliamentary season.
The main topic of the first meetings should be personnel decisions, as after the appointment of the Koretsky government, parliament has not yet received submissions from the President for candidates for the heads of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Street protests in support of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov did not stop for a month. The opening of the Verkhovna Rada session was accompanied by a rally in the government quarter.
This is reported in the segment by TSN correspondent Ihor Bondarenko.
Protests outside and the oath of new deputies
The Ukrainian parliament is resuming its work to the sounds of cardboard protests: “Hearing the people is not weakness.”
Several dozen protesters came to the Verkhovna Rada to remind parliamentarians about the unresolved personnel appointments in the defense department.
“A month without a minister of defense in a country at war is something unreal, and it should never be like this,” the protesters are indignant.
Candidates for the vacant ministerial seats are not yet visible in the parliament hall. Instead, two new deputies from the “Servant of the People” faction are taking their oath – the previous ones left to work in the new Koretsky government. When asked if submissions from the president had been received for the positions, the parliament leadership responded briefly: “Not at the moment, I will inform you immediately.”
However, personnel decisions are expected soon, assures the mono-majority.
“The vote should take place this week after the submission. I think it will be on Wednesday,” says Yevgeniya Kravchuk, a people’s deputy from the “Servant of the People” faction.
Candidates for positions: Khmara and Sybiha
Acting ministers of defense and foreign affairs Yevhen Khmara and Andriy Sybiha will meet with parliamentary factions on Tuesday and Wednesday and present their strategies for the new positions.
And if there are no disputes around the “new-old” head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then the appointment of a new minister of defense holds intrigue, say the opposition.
“There are groups that have doubts about Khmara’s ability to be an effective manager in the Ministry of Defense, as his career was in the security sector, which was not involved in managerial and logistical tasks,” emphasizes Yulia Sirko, a people’s deputy from the “Holos” faction.
Also, the former head of the “Alpha” special unit and the SBU, Yevhen Khmara, must shed his military status, as the head of a civilian military department must be a civilian by law.
Meanwhile, Mykhailo Fedorov is out of the presidential circle and is unlikely to receive new proposals from the head of state, believes political scientist Artem Bronzhukov.
“Fedorov’s removal raised the degree of public outrage – this was evident in Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine. But by removing Syrsky, the authorities seemed to bring this confrontation to a balance – controlled and civilized. And when a legendary combat commander is nominated for the position, it is very difficult to express negativity towards Yevhen Khmara,” emphasizes political scientist Artem Bronzhukov.
Other parliamentary tasks: budget and European integration
Personnel decisions are not the only task for parliamentarians. Ahead lies a huge budget deficit, overdue bills on European integration, and preparation for a very difficult winter.
For the first time in seven years, the government submitted its action program to parliament on time.
“We are now expecting over 20 bills that the government must register and which are part of the Ukraine Facility plan. There are a number of bills that we will vote on today – the Customs Code, economic bills,” adds Yevgeniya Kravchuk.
Deputies may consider personnel decisions on Wednesday if the President has time for submissions and if air raids do not interfere. Russian drones have already suspended the parliament’s first session after the summer recess several times.
▶ You can watch at this link on the TSN YouTube channel: THE MOST SCANDALOUS SESSION OF THE RADА! Who RETURNED UNEXPECTEDLY and what will happen to FEDOROV?!
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