Poturaev called for a secure location to be prepared for the Rada to conduct its work in the event of attacks on Kyiv
Mykita Poturaev, a member of parliament from the “Servant of the People” party, stated that if Russian shelling of Kyiv intensifies, it will be necessary to ensure that parliament can continue to operate from a safe location. According to him, it is necessary to determine in advance where the Verkhovna Rada will be able to hold plenary sessions under such conditions.
Options for the Verkhovna Rada’s operations in the event of intensified Russian shelling
He explained that on Tuesday, when lawmakers gathered in the chamber after a recess, a problem arose: due to constant air raid alerts, it was impossible to hold a vote.
“We were able to pass only one law. We almost passed another one, but we were still forced to vote on it this morning. Parliament cannot function this way. If there are constant threats of shelling, it will simply be paralyzed. What options do we have? Holding sessions in a secure location, which was discussed as early as February 24, 2022: just in case—the Rada would meet there. All members of parliament knew about it. I won’t name it, but it allows sessions to be held. Speeches can be made there, and discussions can take place. But it will be difficult to hold votes, since there is no “Rada-3” system. And installing it—or some equivalent—would be time-consuming and expensive. Still, it’s one option. Another option is to return to the format used in March–May 2022, when deputies would enter the chamber, work for up to half an hour, but during that time manage to pass 20—and sometimes even more—laws. How was this achieved? Every day before the sessions, the Conciliation Council met on Zoom. Sometimes they sat for as long as five or six hours, with breaks. But they reached such a consensus and decision that all factions and groups agreed to support the agreed-upon version of the bill. It would then go to a vote without any debate, without a single amendment, and be passed. The pace was this fast: one or two minutes per law,” the lawmaker noted.
“That’s because the Conciliation Council did a great job. So, in literally 10 minutes, we voted on six laws. That’s how it should be. Or we need to move to a safe place,” the politician emphasized.
He made these remarks in a comment to Censor.NET.
Poturaev decided to resign from his parliamentary seat ahead of schedule.
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