Turning the pages back... May 15, 1994 (05/12/02)

Turning the pages back...

May 15, 1994

Eight years ago the May 15 issue of The Ukrainian Weekly reported on the first moves of Ukraine's first democratically elected Parliament. Trying to fulfill what so many newly elected parliamentarians had promised, the Verkhovna Rada attempted to get down to business immediately. But on opening day, May 11, 1994, they got bogged down by organizational procedures.

Our Kyiv Press Bureau's Roman Woronowycz reported on the scene:

"Almost all of the 338 deputies elected convened on May 11 to develop plans for Ukraine's future. The proceedings opened with the president of the Central Election Commission, Ivan Yemets, announcing the formal convocation of the Parliament. President Leonid Kravchuk sat at his left. The national anthem was played.

"At 10:10 a.m., Mr. Yemets announced that all those present had been fully accredited. Although no gavel was pounded, when he said, 'The first session of the 14th convocation of Ukraine's Supreme Council has officially begun,' the parliamentarians as well as a jam-packed press box and the diplomatic corps present fell quiet. After that it was a downslide into bickering over organizational structure and how political factions should be registered."

Mr. Woronowycz reported that about all the newly elected national deputies decided was that five members, not seven as had been proposed, should comprise the temporary presidium. Former Vice-Chairman of Parliament Vasyl Durdynets, Socialist Oleksander Moroz, Communist Petro Symonenko, the rehabilitated Agrarian Party representative Vitalii Masol and Rukh leader Vyacheslav Chornovil all sat atop the dais.

As decided by the so-called Initiative Group, a parliamentary faction would consist of at least 25 individuals "who are like-minded" (of a political party), and who would caucus to agree on issues and then present them via the faction leader. Many at that time believed one of the reasons for the previous Rada's paralysis was that each deputy spoke as an individual.

But by 2 p.m. of the opening day, 22 individuals had taken the floor to explain why 40 parliamentarians in a faction is more effective than 25. Others said that perhaps only 20 were needed as the minimum to register a faction. Developing the figures must have become tiresome, because at 2 p.m. the normal end of their second daily session, they decided not to have a third. They also agreed that no there was no need for a full session on May 12: the factions should get together and decide just what a faction is.

Source: "Ukraine's Parliament convenes, names temporary Presidium" by Roman Woronowycz, Kyiv Press Bureau, The Ukrainian Weekly, May 15, 1994, Vol. LXII, No. 20.

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