Legal news in Ukraine: President dissolved the Rada, extraordinary parliamentary elections, the Prime Minister wrote a letter of resignation
The Presidential Decree on the dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine came into force
On May 23, 2019 «Uryadovy Kuryer» issued a decree of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the pre-term termination of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the eighth convocation powers and the appointment of early elections on July 21.
Order No. 303/2019 "«On early termination of powers of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the appointment of early elections» came into force on the day of its publication.
Zelenskyy said that the legal basis for the dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the eighth convocation is the absence of a majority in parliament from 2016.
On November 21, 2014, representatives of the «People’s Front», the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko, «Self Reliance», the Batkivshchyna Party, and the radical party of Oleg Lyashko signed a coalition agreement. On May 17, 2019, Verkhovna Rada Speaker Andriy Parubiy announced the cessation of the «European Ukraine Coalition».
We will add that, in accordance with Article 83 (7) of the Constitution of Ukraine, a new coalition must be formed within one month from the date of termination of the coalition's activity. Otherwise, the parliament may be dissolved by the President.
At the same time, Article 90 of the Constitution of Ukraine provides that the powers of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine can not be terminated by the President of Ukraine in the last six months of the term of office of the Parliament.
It should be noted, Parubiy said that the President’s decree on the dissolution of Parliament contradicts the current Constitution. He noted that the President has no authority to establish the presence or absence of a coalition.
The Speaker of the Parliament emphasized that the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine does not have such powers either. «There was a single fact, when on May 17, 2019, the coalition itself announced its dissolution from this rostrum. And from that moment a constitutional term began – 30 days to form a new coalition. And now we are in the constitutional process of forming a coalition, – he specified. – I believe that the decree on dissolution of Parliament is contrary to the current Constitution. So, yesterday, I said and repeat now that I will act from this podium and always acted exclusively within the limits of legislative powers».
It should be noted that people’s deputies filed a submission to the Constitutional Court regarding the constitutionality of the Decree, and the document is also challenged in the Supreme Court.
Extraordinary elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will be held July 21, 2019.
Regular elections are scheduled for October 27, 2019, but President Vladimir Zelensky of Ukraine, during his inauguration on May 20, announced his intention to dissolve parliament.
On May 21, 2019, he signed a decree on early termination of the powers of the Verkhovna Rada of the eighth convocation, that entered into force on May 23, 2019.
The election process began on May 24th. Voting will take place under a mixed system: voters receive two ballots - for voting by the state-wide multi-member and single-mandate constituencies.
To change the place of voting, the voter must submit an application to the state register of voters before July 15.
On May 22, at an extraordinary meeting of parliament, people’s deputies refused to include in the agenda the bills «On introducing changes to some laws of Ukraine in connection with a change in the electoral system for electing people’s deputies of Ukraine» and «On introducing changes to the Law of Ukraine «On elections of deputies of Ukraine» (regarding the implementation of elections according to open electoral lists)».
The projects envisaged the holding of elections to the Rada under the proportional electoral system and the establishment of a barrier to parliament at the level of 3%.
It should be noted that the Chairperson of the Central Election Commission Tetyana Slipachuk said that the Commission will not have time to organize the election procedures for holding special elections to the Verkhovna Rada under the current procedure of public procurement.
On May 20, 2019, Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Hroysman stated that he had written a letter of resignation.
A candidate for appointment to the position of head of government is introduced by the President of Ukraine at the suggestion of a coalition or deputy faction, which includes most of the people's deputies.
