Reforms for the Future (Ukrainian: Реформи заради майбутнього) was a Ukrainian deputy group turned faction in its national parliament Verkhovna Rada created on February 16, 2011.[1][3] Deputy Ihor Rybakov (earlier elected on the election list of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko), is the group's faction leader.[1] The faction supported the Azarov Government.[4] All members of the group had individually already entered into the parliamentary coalition which supported this government.[4] At its peak the group contained 21 deputies (in January 2012).[5][6] In the parliament elected on 28 October 2012 that started its tasks on 15 December 2012 the faction was not re-created.[7][8][9][10]
Reforms for the Future Реформи заради майбутнього | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Ihor Rybakov |
| Founded | 16 February 2011[1] |
| Dissolved | 15 December 2012[2] |
History
editReforms for the Future started as a new deputy group in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) on August 31, 2010.[11] The Reforms for the Future deputy group stated in September 2010 that it intended to seek the rights of a parliamentary faction.[3] After the cancellation of the Imperative Mandate on October 1, 2010 it became possible for 15 or more deputies to form a parliamentary faction (a lawmaker can join only one faction; the chairman and his two assistants cannot head factions of deputies).[12][13][14][15][16] At that time, the deputy group consisted of 17 deputies expelled from the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc–Batkivschyna faction (BYuT) and two deputies from the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc faction.[3] MP Ivan Pliusch (at the time an independent MP) joined the group on February 15, 2011.[3] Taras Chornovil joined Reforms for the Future soon after.[4] Setting up a faction without a party is not uncommon in Ukraine's parliamentary history. Several influential parties have been founded after they had already founded a faction in the Verkhovna Rada, examples of this are the Party of Regions, All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" and Labour Ukraine.[17][18][19][20]
Rumours that the group was formed by businessmen who allegedly "fled" from BYuT "for fear of political persecution" have been denied by the group.[21] Early 2012 Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko deputy Roman Zabzalyuk was briefly a member of the group; he claimed to investigate political corruption.[6][22] He stated after rejoining the Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko early February 2012 that "They offer $500,000 for a transfer [to the parliamentary group], and then they pay a monthly salary of $20,000-25,000". In contrast, according to the deputy leader of the Reforms for Future group, Volodymyr Kapliyenko, Zabzalyuk had claimed he was "suffering a very serious disease" and the group had raised some $100,000 for Zabzalyuk to undergo surgery in Israel.[22] The day after these allegations were made (9 February 2012) Chornovil left the faction.[23] BYuT deputies claimed mid-February 2012 they had transferred the bribes Zabzalyuk had received to the Okhmatdyt National Children's Hospital.[24]
In the parliament elected on 28 October 2012 that started its tasks on 15 December 2012 the faction was not re-created.[7][8][9][10] But certain former members were re-elected to parliament.[25]
Issue stances
editThe group supported land reform, pension reform and raising of the retirement age.[4] The group stated it basically supports all reforms initiated by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych "but with corrections".[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c Individual deputies create Reforms for the Sake of Future group in parliament, Kyiv Post (February 16, 2011)
- ^ You Scratch My Back, and I’ll Scratch Yours, The Ukrainian Week (26 September 2012)
- ^ a b c d (in Ukrainian) Завтра в Раді може з'явитися нова фракція, Ukrainian News Agency (February 15, 2011)
- ^ a b c d e (in Ukrainian) "Реформи заради майбутнього" підтримають Януковича у всьому, але мову не здадуть, NEWSru.ua (February 19, 2011)
- ^ (in Ukrainian) Група "Реформи заради майбутнього" у Верховній Раді України, Verkhovna Rada
- ^ a b Plenary meetings on January 10, 2012, Verkhovna Rada (10 January 2012)
- ^ a b Parliament of sixth convocation ends its work, Kyiv Post (6 December 2012)
- ^ a b You Scratch My Back, and I’ll Scratch Yours, The Ukrainian Week (26 September 2012)
Voting for the Verkhovna Rada regulations amendment
Stenogram of November 6, 2012 session
Політичний цирк: кнопкодави попалися на своїх звичках (Political circus: the "button-pushers" got caught on its habits). Ukrayinska Pravda. - ^ a b Yefremov: Regions Party faction already has 223 members, Kyiv Post (28 November 2012 2012)
A difficult victory for the Party of Regions, Centre for Eastern Studies (31 October 2012) - ^ a b (in Ukrainian) Депутатські фракції Archived 2010-10-15 at the Wayback Machine, Verkhovna Rada
- ^ (in Ukrainian) Депутати - перебіжчики об'єдналися в групу "Реформи заради майбутнього", Gazeta.ua (August 31, 2010)
- ^ Rada Approves Cancellation Of Rule That Bans Deputies From Switching Factions Archived 2010-10-09 at the Wayback Machine, The Financial (October 8, 2010)
- ^ Update: Return to 1996 Constitution strengthens president, raises legal questions, Kyiv Post (October 1, 2010)
- ^ Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: The functioning of democratic institutions in Ukraine, Kyiv Post (October 5, 2010)
- ^ Laws of Ukraine. Verkhovna Rada decree No. 2222-IV: About the amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine. Adopted on 2004-12-08. (Ukrainian)
- ^ Rada amends regulations of its activities, Kyiv Post (October 8, 2010)
- ^ Explaining State Capture and State Capture Modes by Oleksiy Omelyanchuk, Central European University, 2001 (page 22)
- ^ 2001 Political sketches: too early for summing up, Central European University (January 4, 2002)
- ^ State Building in Ukraine: The Ukrainian Parliament, 1990-2003 by Sarah Whitmore, Routledge, 2004, ISBN 978-0-415-33195-1, page 106
- ^ Revolution in Orange: The Origins of Ukraine's Democratic Breakthrough by Anders Aslund and Michael A. McFaul, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2006, ISBN 978-0-87003-221-9
- ^ (in Ukrainian) Чорновіл: Створення депутатської групи «Реформи заради майбутнього» стало неприємністю для ПР, 5 Kanal (February 19, 2011)
- ^ a b Turchynov: Batkivschyna knew why Zabzaliuk left faction, Kyiv Post (8 February 2012)
- ^ Chornovil leaves Reforms for Future group, Interfax Ukraine (9 February 2012)
- ^ Batkivschyna transfers Hr 3.6 million to Okhmatdyt National Children's Hospital, Kyiv Post (17 February 2012)
- ^ (in Ukrainian) Список депутатів нової Верховної Ради, Ukrayinska Pravda (11 November 2012)
External links
edit- Official website of faction leader Ihor Rybakov (in Ukrainian)