Журнал Viche 2013 №3

№3, 2013

Amendments to the constitution must be passed by the Parliament

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is ready for constructive cooperation with the Venice Commission, which is not only the part of the history of the European constitutionalism, but also is the future of the European legal system. The Head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak stated this during the meeting with the President of the European Commission “For the democracy through the law” (Venice Commission) Gianni Buquicchio on February, 5.

The President of the European Commission “For the democracy through the law” positively estimated the work of the Constitutional Assembly of Ukraine, with which members of the Venice Commission had just acquainted, and stressed that it didn’t matter what will be the system of the government: parliamentary, presidential or parliamentary-presidential. Above all, according to him the state should have the system of “checks and balances” regarding to which transparency, mutual control and democracy can be ensured. “All governmental authorities should work properly”, - he said.

G. Buquicchio also considers that the constitutional reform should “pass by normal way - through the Verkhovna Rada”. “It should become the task of the Verkhovna Rada, but not of the referendum”, - he declared. At the same time G. Buquicchio, greeting the “devotion of Ukraine towards the improvement of relations with the Venice Commission”, stressed that in Ukraine "there were enough intellectual and political resources to implement constitutional reforms, so the only thing that Ukrainians might need was the experience of the European countries”.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, stressing the priority of European values ​​for the citizens of Ukraine, called the experience and advices of the Venice Commission very useful. He pointed out that the structure of the Constitutional Assembly, established by the President of Ukraine, includes the best specialists who prepare proposals for amendments to the Constitution. According to Mr. Rybak these changes should be adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

In response to the words of G. Buquicchio that Ukraine was the part of Europe, the head of the parliament expressed the hope that the parliament of Ukraine should become European – that kind  “when the government feels the opposition, and the opposition - the government”.