Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has submitted 19 bills to the country’s parliament, Verkhovna Rada, including amendments to ten articles of the Ukrainian constitution, according to the parliament’s official website, TASS reports.
Zelensky’s constitutional initiatives include slashing the number of lawmakers by one third, from 450 to 300, and electing them under the system of proportional representation. Besides, the president suggests adding two more provisions to the list of reasons under which a parliamentarian may lose his mandate: skipping more than two thirds of parliamentary sessions without a reasonable excuse and substituting another lawmaker in a parliamentary vote.
Zelensky also believes that the people of Ukraine should be vested with the right to initiate bills and the parliament - with the right to appoint its commissioners overseeing how well the constitution and other legislative acts are implemented.
Other initiatives include greater powers for the president in the anti-corruption sphere and a series of anti-corruption measures.
In the domain of justice, Zelensky came up with a series of amendments regarding the judicial process, functioning of the Prosecutor General’s office and Supreme Court hearings.
One of the bills amends the subordination structure of the National Guard and excludes the interior minister from it.
The newly elected Verkhovna Rada of the 9th convocation began its work on Thursday. Among the parliament’s first moves was the appointment of Prime Minister Alexei Goncharuk and his cabinet.
