Deputies must work in Rada or go to front, - Zelenskyy
Members of Parliament must either continue their work in the Verkhovna Rada during martial law or join the defense of the country on the front lines.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made this statement during a conversation with journalists, according to Censor.NET, citing LB.ua.
"From the very first days of the full-scale Russian invasion, there were members of parliament who wanted to resign their seats. There may be different desires and different attitudes toward them, but we are under martial law and must defend our country. And so, members of parliament will either have to serve in parliament in accordance with Ukrainian law, or I am ready to discuss with parliamentary representatives a law on changes to mobilization so that members of parliament can go to the front," the president noted.
Election Issues
The president also noted that a third option is theoretically possible: amending the law and holding elections. However, he believes that holding elections during wartime is impossible due to security and legal constraints.
The Rada's Work
The head of state also commented on the work of the Verkhovna Rada. In his view, the efficiency of voting procedures needs to be improved: "As for how parliament is functioning now: there may be many different reasons and many personal opinions. But the situation needs to be rectified."
Zelenskyy noted that opposition forces sometimes fail to support important bills, particularly those related to international financial assistance, cooperation with the International Monetary Fund, the release of macro-financial assistance from the EU, or those necessary for Ukraine’s European integration.
"Unfortunately, opposition members do not add their votes to various important bills—whether it’s a legislative request from the IMF for financial support, the release of 90 billion euros, or bills necessary for European integration. Even regarding laws that aren’t particularly contentious, we always have to negotiate with opposition forces and spend a long time persuading them to demonstrate the unity they so often speak of. But beyond words, we must demonstrate it through actions. We must gather our strength and make a decision for ourselves," says the president.
"We will carry on until the end of the war, working together, voting, enacting relevant laws, implementing changes, making personnel decisions, and so on—or we will amend the law to allow for the mobilization of lawmakers who are no longer willing to serve in parliament," the president concluded.
