Arseniy Yatsenyuk in Kharkiv: Draft Constitution should be submitted to the Venice Commission asap

posted 07 May 2014 18:08

The Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk stresses there is the need to submit to the Venice Commission as soon as possible a draft Constitution of Ukraine. He declared during an exit session of the Government in Kharkiv, on May 7.

“Even if there are certain discrepancies in the positions of various political forces, I consider such draft with the table of differences should be sent to our European partners in order to find out their vision and complete the constitutional reform in Ukraine much demanded by the people today”.

“Our people are demanding change of authority structure, and the Constitution is the principal document called to change the authority system,” he added.

The Prime Minister emphasized the Government of Ukraine had started “a broad national dialog relating to real changes in Ukraine”: “Such changes envisage decentralizing of power, transition of responsibilities to the regions, approval the new Budget Code containing that the local communities will be provided with financial resources, a new Tax Code which contains simplifying and reducing the number of taxes, is called to ensure transparency of payment taxes and curb corruption”.

According to him, amendments to the Constitution should also envisage that “every separate territory, every separate community will possess additional powers in humanitarian area as well”.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed that the position of the Government in this issue “has been, still remains and will be invariable”: “We have used to protect and will be protecting the rights of Russian speaking community. And the current law rendering to the Russian language the regional status is working in Ukraine today. If the need arises to introduce a special status for the Russian language and languages of national minorities, I consider it must be the subject for the joint discussion and taking a relevant decision”.