Photo from UNIAN

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says it is necessary to pass a draft law to reduce the number of lawmakers at the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, to 300.

The president also announced the support of this initiative by the ruling Servant of the People Party, the press service of the President's Office wrote on January 29.

"In general, there will be fewer deputies: not 450, but 300. This [draft] law, by the way, is next in line [pending consideration in Parliament]. We also promised it, so we must deliver. By the way, also 300 votes are needed to this end," he said.

"I wonder who will join the Servant of the People faction in making this decision?" he asked, urging Ukrainian citizens to closely follow the roll-call vote to see the opponents.

Zelensky's bill: Details

In September 2019, Parliament submitted to the Constitutional Court presidential bill "On Amending Articles 76 and 77 of the Constitution of Ukraine (on reducing the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and consolidating a proportional electoral system)" (No. 1017).

The bill proposes in Article 76 of the Basic Law to lay down the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada capped at 300 people's deputies (now the number is 450) who shall be elected for a five-year term.

Article 77 introduces a norm that people's deputies shall be elected by a proportional electoral system.

In December 2019, the Constitutional Court recognized the draft law in line with the Basic Law.

The Committee on Legal Policy of the Verkhovna Rada recommended that Parliament support the bill to reduce the number of people's deputies to 300.