At today’s press conference in Kyiv, Victor Yushchenko said it was important to repeal legislative immunity, raise the three percent barrier for entry to the Rada, improve the mechanism to convene election commissions, and conduct central and regional elections separately, according to the President’s press-office.
“…If Ukraine’s constitutional court acts honestly and parliamentarians behave modernly, we will be able to revoke this norm,” he said.
Mr. Yushchenko added that some of the newly elected deputies had a questionable reputation and “came to parliament to have an alibi and be beyond the reach of Ukrainian justice.” He opined that “the equality of all citizens will make elections less violent” and said our deputies might have so-called political immunity not to be prosecuted for political views.
The Head of State also said the existing three percent barrier causes confrontation among political forces.
“They all think they are little Napoleons and so many political projects appear, which confuses our voters,” he said, adding that the barrier must be raised to five percent.
The President said the so-called party principle to form election commissions proved to be inefficient and reminded those present that thousands of local commissions had not been convoked some days before the election.
“I think we made a mistake when we thought parties could professionally form the commissions,” he said. “We cannot use this technology again.”
