Ruling Coalition Has Torpedoed Adoption of Decree of Ukraine «On the Recommendations of the Parliamentary Hearings, Titled «Ethnic and National Policy of Ukraine: Achievements and Prospects»

05 July 2012

The issues of the adoption of the Regulation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine “On the Recommendations of the Parliamentary Hearings, titled “The Interethnic Policy of Ukraine: Achievements and Prospects” was previously considered by the Parliament and was returned for improvement to the Committee concerned on May 16, 2012.

On July 5, 2012 the issues of the adoption of the Regulation mentioned was put to the vote, but was torpedoed.

Only 42 MPs of Ukraine, belonging to the ruling coalition vote for the Decree of Ukraine “On the Recommendations of the Parliamentary Hearings, titled “the Interethnic Policy of Ukraine: Achievements and Prospects”. As reported, the opposition did not take part in the vote.

The Leader of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, MP of Ukraine Mustafa Jemilev is sure that the reason of “torpedoing” of the document is first of all the negative attitude of the chairing First Vice-Speaker Adam Martynuk and the whole faction of the Communist Party of Ukraine.

We would remind you that on January 11, 2012 the Parliamentary hearings, titled “The Interethnic Policy of Ukraine: Achievements and Prospects” was held in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The hearings were resulted in the adoption by the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on human rights, national minorities and interethnic relations on its session on March 21, 2012 of the Draft Decree of the VR of Ukraine “On the Recommendations of the Parliamentary hearings, titled: “Interethnic Policy of Ukraine: Achievements and Prospects” and recommended it for a basis in the whole.

The Draft Recommendations among some concrete recommendations, addressed to the President of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Council of Ministers of Ukraine and other state bodies also says about the necessity to:

– establish the central executive body on the issues, relating to the forming and implementation of the state ethnic and national policy;

– improve the law in the state ethnic and national policy, in particular, aggravation of the responsibility for actions, aimed at stirring the national, racial or religious hatred;

– soonest consideration of the Draft Law “On the restoration of the rights of persons, deported on the ethnic grounds” (No. 5515);

– resettlement of the deported Crimean Tatars and persons, belonging to other nationalities that were formerly deported on the ethnic grounds and that returned to Ukraine, their adaptation and integration to Ukrainian society.

The full text of the “Recommendations of the Parliamentary Hearings, titled “Interethnic Policy of Ukraine: Achievements and Prospects” are available here.