Communists propose own version of new constitution for Ukraine (03/31/96)

Communists propose own version of new constitution for Ukraine

by Marta Kolomayets
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - An alternative to the draft constitution developed by Ukraine's Constitutional Committee and presented to the Parliament last week began circulating among deputies of the legislature on March 25.

This second document - signed by 125 left-wing members of the Parliament - is "the Constitution of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic." It does not differ from the fundamental law of the Ukrainian SSR, most recently revised in 1978.

Representatives of the Communist, Socialist and Agrarian factions made good on their threat to present their own version of a draft constitution, despite the fact that this move is seen as a destablizing-factor in: an already polarized Parliament.

The draft states that the Ukrainian SSR represents a "socialist state of the people expressing the will of the workers, peasants, working intelligentsia, of all people who have created material and spiritual values by their honest labor effort."

It also states that all the power in the Ukrainian SSR belongs to the people. The Supreme Council is the supreme body of state power and the sole legislative body. It is empowered to "examine any issue within the competence of the Ukrainian SSR, apart from those in the competence of the executive and judicial branches of power, as well as those to be decided by national vote."

The alternative document does not include the post of president, but it does provide for a Council of Ministers as the supreme executive body of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

The draft also envisages three forms of property: citizens' (earned by labor), collective and state.

Both Ukrainian and Russian are regarded as state languages. The trident is replaced by the hammer and sickle and a red five-pointed star as the coat of arms of the Ukrainian SSR. The blue-and-yellow flag is bumped for the old red-and-blue banner of the Ukrainian SSR.

The draft constitution presented by the Constitutional Committee on March 11 and submitted to Parliament by the committee's co-chairmen, President Leonid Kuchma and Parliament Chairman Oleksander Moroz, was written by a group that represented all factions of Parliament. However, the left-wingers on the committee did not approve the completed draft during the final debates.

Although most of the country's officials agree that Ukraine must adopt a constitution in the near future, the procedure to do so has not yet been agreed upon. Thus, it appears that future sessions of Parliament will be chaotic as the deputies are sure to argue about the means to adopt the Constitution.

Already the alternative Communist constitution has been harshly criticized by Ukraine's national democrats, who view the move as a provocation pure and simple.

"I see this as a diplomatic move by the undiplomatic HKChP (putsch organizers of August 1991). To be sure, the left forces in Parliament submitted their own draft in order to sharply curb the constitutional process, to stir the already delicate balance of powers," commented Les Taniuk, a member of the Rukh faction in Parliament.

"But, this move by the left forces, in my opinion, is a farce; it is not serious. Especially if one compares it to the events developing in Russia, it comes off looking, not like a drama, but like a parody," he added.

"I think it is just another provocation to try to regain lost powers," noted Bohdan Horyn, a member of the Statehood faction, adding that the left-wingers are consolidating all of their forces to turn back the wheel of history, to bring back the power of the Soviet system, which is the only power they felt comfortable with.

"For the left forces, the totalitarian regime is both nostalgia and a current need. And now in Russia the Communists are setting the tone for unfolding events - such as attempts at the rebirth of the Soviet Union. You can be sure that there is constant consultation going on between the Communists in Russia and the Communists in Ukraine," said Mr. Horyn, who is a member of the Ukrainian Republican Party.

"I consider the move of the Ukrainian left-wing forces to present an alternative constitution to the Parliament as an attempt to revive a lost cause. And I hope to God that it's the last such move," he underlined.

Ivan Pliushch, a member of the Center faction, underscored the discipline within the left forces. He questioned who could Ukraine work with if it refuses to move ahead and stagnates in the past, promoting socialist ideals. "Cuba, Belarus - are these countries with whom we should strive to integrate?" he asked.

"It's been two weeks, and we can't seem to get copies of the [draft] constitution presented on March 11 distributed to all the deputies. Look at the left forces their constitution is one and a half times longer than ours and they distributed it to everyone quickly, efficiently," Mr. Pliushch noted. "What does that tell us?"

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