Many decisions in parliament thwarted due to lack of communication with MPs, partner groups – Korniyenko

KYIV. Nov 15 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Many decisions in the Verkhovaya Rada are thwarted due to lack of communication with deputies and partner groups, said Oleksandr Korniyenko, First Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament.

"They are often thwarted simply because of lack of communication. It’s good if now, in connection with the COVID-19, there are 210-215 mono-majority deputies in the session hall, that is, we ourselves, even with all our desire, cannot give the required minimum of 226 votes … But, again, the deputies often do not sit out until the end of the plenary session. Sometimes we simply do not fully communicate some things with our partners, primarily with deputy groups," said Korniyenko in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency.

According to the first deputy speaker, sometimes it is impossible to make a particular decision because of the personal plans of the deputies. He said that proposals to extend plenary sessions, hold extraordinary sessions, and change the work plan are not very popular with his colleagues.

"The deputies are wary of the proposals: ‘let’s work another week,’ ‘we’ll sit for another day." After all, they had planned in advance some foreign trips, meetings with voters in the constituencies, and it is clear that it is very difficult to change the schedule two weeks before the planned one," Korniyenko said.