The eighteenth point

The amendments adopted in the first reading to the Ukrainian Constitution on decentralization of power have become a serious problem for Petro Poroshenko: there are now fewer deputies, who are less than the citizens who are dissatisfied with the presidential course, are more

The Verkhovna Rada discusses amendments to the Constitution on the decentralization of power, Kiev, on August 31, 2015, deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine - in principle, competent people. Few of them object to the land become the property of a particular local community, and most of the taxes collected in the field remained there - in the budgets of local authorities. And even the discussions on the topic - to liquidate or not the regional state administration, along with the Institute of All -Spread “Governors”, introduce or not to introduce the position of a modest “watchman”, the presidential prefect instead - did not become a nail of the program of the Parliament session on August 31, when I was glad to vote on amendments to the Constitution. Nevertheless, they understand: as do not call a protege from Kyiv, the essence of his work will not change from this. This stumbling block was the latest line in the text of the amendments, paragraph 18: "Features of the implementation of local self -government in certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions are determined by a separate law."

Who and why against this point sharply opposed the “self -help” and the radical party of Ukraine (RPL) Oleg Lyashko - two political forces that were part of the parliamentary majority.

“Self -help” extended an angry statement: “They are trying to convince us that there is no special status of Donbass in the Constitution, and the provision on the“ features of local self -government in certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions ”is“ formality ”and“ necessary conditions for the world ”. But this is just another name that does not change the essence, ”the deputies of the faction are convinced.

Why are they so alarmed? Because, for example, the new law introduces “a special procedure for the appointment of the heads of the prosecutor's office and judges - with the participation of local authorities.” Thus, the leaders of the DPR and the LPR are convinced of “self -help”, will be able to “influence the appointments of prosecutors and judges, create the so -called national police units supposedly to maintain order”. Not to mention the fact that the amendments to the Constitution "will turn the war unleashed and supported by Russia into an ordinary civil war, in which Ukraine, as a side (conflict), will not be able to seek support from other states."

Clause 3 of the amendments also caused sharp objections, in which, on behalf of the state, “preventing criminal prosecution, prosecution, administrative responsibility and punishment of persons participants in the territory of Donetsk, Lugansk regions are guaranteed.

The authorities tried to calm the dissatisfied. According to the speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Vladimir Groysman, “there is no special status of Donbass,” and the new law only determines “clear mechanisms of life in some territories of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions”. At the same time, "there will be no elections in the territories that are not controlled by Ukraine."

Nevertheless, the passions were heated to the limit, the Presidium of the Rada was blocked by opponents of amendments. Someone called President Poroshenko a traitor, someone retorted: traitors those who call the traitor of the president. As a result, the amendments were supported in the first reading with 265 voices with the required minimum 226.

During the demonstration near the parliament building, *Kiev, August 31, 2015 *At the distance of a throw two years ago, representatives of the Freedom party, led by Oleg Tyagnibok, came to the Verkhovna Rada with piles and began to cut the fence, which surrounded the square in front of the parliamentary building. Then it was perceived as an attempt to bring the people closer to power as possible.

Since then there is no fence. When the sessions of the Rada take place, the ranks of police officers play his role, who, in the case of mass protests, come to the aid of the National Guard unit. This happened on August 31 - the protesters against the adoption of amendments to the Constitution were separated from the parliament of more than 300 representatives of law enforcement agencies. There were also activists of “Freedom” in the crowd: they beat police officers with batons, pulled shields from their hands, threw smoke bombs. And then the explosion thundered: Igor Gumenyuk, a member of the Freedom party and a fighter of the SICH battalion, who was on vacation, threw a grenade into the ranks of the National Guard ... A 24-year-old fighter from Kherson died. “This is a crime, not a political position,” said the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov. “Tyagnibok brought not protesters under the Verkhovna - he brought bandits.”

The result of the riots near the walls of the Rada: three dead, 125 wounded. The Tyagnibok party refused to take responsibility for the murder of the National Guard, and its leader accused the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in everything: “The fact that Avakov quickly“ appointed the guilty ”testifies to one thing - the provocation was planned and planned. The crowd began after the “Avakov’s eagles” went on the offensive, trampling the portraits of the dead Ukrainian heroes, who died at the front. ” The authorities deliberately created such a situation at the walls of the parliament, so that “no one could interfere with the final adoption of treacherous changes to the Constitution,” the leader of “Freedom” is sure.

The next day, September 1, the RPL announced her withdrawal from the parliamentary majority and the transition to the opposition, liable for events at the walls of the Rada to President Petro Poroshenko. It is clear that Oleg Lyashko, who was reproaching the opposition, will now say about himself and his party as the only power that advocated for the reform, and which “traitors”, “spies”, “corruption” did not allow to turn around. With this, he will go to local elections on October 25. Whether in time for a warring, lying in the economic ruins of Ukraine, political passions were so heated - a big question.

“There are no votes-no parliament”, in principle, the decision of the “radicals” should not affect the work of the majority: after the RPP departure, the coalition composition will decrease from 301 to 286 people, that is, formally, it still has enough votes to adopt any laws. But not those related to the constitution - in this case, a mandatory second reading is required, in which the necessary minimum votes increases to 300 (instead of the previous 226).

So far, the chances of the painless adoption of amendments are preserved: in addition to the fractions of the majority, non -capacity deputies also meet in the Rada. And the opposition block in the first reading voted for amendments. Finally, the authorities can put into business another argument: only a link to the law on the features of local self -government will be recorded in the Constitution. At the same time, no one interferes with amendments to the law itself, if he called so many disputes. But someone else's soul is dark. No one will guarantee that 74 deputies are “not out of most” and will vote as it should.

However, if the authorities understand that 300 of the necessary votes in the Rada is not gaining in any way, then this is not a problem. After all, it may well act on the principle of “no votes - no parliament”, that is, announce the early parliamentary elections.

“Out of fear of not gaining the minimum number of votes, the presidential majority will postpone the vote in the second reading, but then the European partners of Ukraine will begin to put pressure so that they do not tighten with voting,” political analyst Vladimir Pavliv is forecast. “And this will be one of the motives for launching the re -election of parliament.”

The main problem President Poroshenko was in a difficult situation. On the one hand, early elections are happy to do not threaten him. On the other hand, the most of the political forces loyal to him and in the new composition of the parliament will be most of the parliament, he certainly does not have. Protest moods have sharply intensified in the country, an opposition block is increasingly popular, where former representatives of the Party of Regions and supporters of the fugitive president Viktor Yanukovych play the first violin. “Perennodes (parliament) today are primarily wanted by those who go to rallies, who are dissatisfied with the situation in the country,” said Natalya Royal, Minister of Social Policy in the “shadow” office.

But the elections, including extraordinary ones, - Ukraine has already experienced all this. The main problem is different - from the war people are returning who are not ready to listen to promises endlessly. And these people have weapons. And also his own, suffered in battles, however, "we fought for the wrong thing." And they are ready to prove their case by any means.