Comments of Venice Commission to be accepted

Comments and suggestions of the Venice Commission regarding draft amendments to the Ukrainian Constitution, proposed by President Viktor Yushchenko, will be finally accepted, Maryna Stavniychuk, Deputy Head of the Presidential Secretariat, told a news conference on Monday.

According to the official, the comments of the commission members are not conceptual.

At the same time, Justice Minister Mykola Onishchuk believes that the comments are motivating. "They were given to us in the form of recommendations, so we are to decide by ourselves, which of them should be taken into account," he noted.

In particular, the commission experts noted that the draft instrument has no doubtful provisions of the Constitution in force, namely - regarding a formalized coalition of majority in the Verkhovna Rada, imperative mandate, double responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers to the President and the Verkhovna Rada and separation of an appointment of ministers for the posts at the suggestion of the President and Prime Minister.

Apart from this, the experts were doubtful about expediency of making all amendments to the basic law on referendum.

On June 12, the Venice Commission appreciated President Yushchenko's draft law on constitutional amendments.

UKRINFORM