| His Excellency
President of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe
Mr. Luis Maria de Puig
Strasbourg
April 3, 2009
Kyiv
Your Excellency,
We are forced to address to You by the extraordinary situation that has occurred in Ukraine as the result of changes, took place in the election law of Ukraine at the level of central and local elections both (here we mean the election of deputies of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and deputies of the local councils of different types). Proportional electoral system introduced in Ukraine, has resulted ruining of the parliamentarism that could get irreversible features at the state with the parliamentary-presidential form of government. The Parliamentary Assembly of The Council of Europe warned about this danger in proper time during the discussion of the situation in Ukraine taking urgent procedure at the second part of the sequential session of PACE, conducted on April 16-20, 2007 in Strasburg.
We absolutely agree with the text of The PACE Resolution “Functioning of The Democratic Institutions in Ukraine” ¹1549 (2007) and support appeals and recommendations of PACE concerning making changes into the election law of Ukraine by the open electoral lists introducing not in one all-state district, but in each defined regional districts.
We are concerned that today nor The President of Ukraine, neither The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine doesn’t provide execution of the statements of the mentioned Resolution and doesn’t initiate changes of the Ukrainian law and to result it in conformity to the requirements of The PACE recommendations.
For the ten times we appeal to You with kindly request to consider at the sequential session of PACE in year 2009 the question of Ukraine’s realizing of The PACE Resolution ¹1549 (2007) statements.
We also regard reasonable, that mentioned problem remain constantly in the field of view of The PACE Monitoring Committee. We think it is quite important for The Committee to become more effective and active controlling Ukraine’s realization of The Parliamentary Assembly of The Council of Europe recommendations. Thereby we are disturbed with effortless stance of Mr. Serhiy Holovaty, Chair of The PACE Monitoring Committee.
Taking the opportunity we would like to inform You that currently more than 150 Ukrainian mayors sign address to You Appeal in reference to consider a question of Ukraine’s realizing of The PACE Resolution ¹1549 (2007) statements.
For a pity, we still haven’t received Your answer on any of our appeals. We ask You to appoint responsible person for discussing of this question.
On behalf of the participants of the round-table “Carriage of local self-government reform and reform of election legislation in Ukraine in accordance with requisitions of European integration” (April 3, 2009, Ivano-Frankivsk city):
Anushkevychus V., Mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk
Gromko Yaroslav, Mayor of Burshtyn (Ivano-Frankivsk region)
Kovbas Mykhaylo, Mayor of Tlumach (Ivano-Frankivsk region)
Porayko Iryna, Mayor of Storozhynets (Ivano-Frankivsk region)
Vasylenko V., Vice-mayor of Nadvirna (Ivano-Frankivsk region)
Kulochytskyi D., Vice-mayor of Galych (Ivano-Frankivsk region)
Gochylyk Viktor., Secretary of Dolyna city council (Ivano-Frankivsk region)
Gutsulyak Igor, lawyer of Snyatyn city council (Ivano-Frankivsk region)
Tsurkan Yaroslav, Mayor of Zastavna (Chernivtsi region)
Sydor Mykhaylo, Mayor of Vashkovets (Chernivtsi region)
Povidash Ivan, head of Putyl country council (Chernivtsi region)
Sincerely your,
Dr. Oleh Soskin,
Institute of Society Transformation Director,
Organizer of the round-table |