The Rada Showed Off a Shelter for Lawmakers to Work in During Alarms
The Verkhovna Rada plans to introduce an alternative format for conducting business during prolonged air raid alerts. Members of Parliament will be able to continue their sessions and vote from a designated shelter.
Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk outlined the details of the decision during a meeting with the media.
“Given how much the number of attacks has increased, this could paralyze the Ukrainian government’s operations. And that is precisely why, thanks to the administration and our colleagues, we will offer members of parliament an alternative option. You are currently in a building that can be used as an alternative venue for the Verkhovna Rada’s activities,” Stefanchuk noted.
The politician noted that during an air raid alert, the Verkhovna Rada is required by law to suspend its work and take shelter. According to him, this takes a significant amount of time that parliament could otherwise spend carrying out its constitutional duties. Given the frequency and duration of air raid alerts, this could negatively impact the body’s work. At the same time, Stefanchuk emphasized that this is not about replacing the main session hall, but only about an additional mechanism that will allow the Rada to continue its work if it is impossible to hold a session in the main hall due to a security situation.
The newly equipped space is located on the lower ground floor and includes a conference hall and adjacent lobbies. A total of 368 seats have already been prepared there for lawmakers, and this number can be increased if necessary.
Stefanchuk also stated that an alternative internal electronic voting system has been developed, which operates only within the shelter and allows every lawmaker to cast a vote. Voting outside the premises is not possible.
“I want to dispel some myths about how, supposedly, members of parliament will be voting from who-knows-where, using some obscure methods. No, the Verkhovna Rada’s rules of procedure provide for two types of voting. One is voting using the electronic system you see here, and the other is a show of hands. It’s clear that a show of hands, given the challenges facing the country, is not an option, because every bill we consider would take an indefinite amount of time. That is precisely why an alternative mechanism—which we are demonstrating to you—was developed in order to preserve all procedural provisions,” noted the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament.
The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada emphasized that sessions will be held at the parliament’s official address, and voting will remain in-person and be conducted by deputies via an electronic system that will operate only within the designated premises.
“I would like to remind you of the main procedural provisions. Article 2 stipulates that sessions of the Verkhovna Rada are held at 5 Hrushevsky Street. We are currently at 5 Hrushevsky Street. Second, voting in the Verkhovna Rada is conducted in person. We have done everything to ensure that every member of parliament has the opportunity to cast their vote in person using the electronic system. Third, voting takes place within the Verkhovna Rada building. Anyone who leaves the perimeter of this chamber, which you can see, will not be able to vote because they will be cut off from the system that processes the vote,” Stefanchuk explained.
The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada also noted that the procedures for the parliament’s work in the designated shelter are planned to be regulated by a separate resolution of the Verkhovna Rada. A draft of the resolution has already been prepared by the parliamentary administration and the relevant committee; however, before the document is put to a vote, deputies must test the new operating system. This testing will take place this week.
Stefanchuk also emphasized that there is no question of evacuating or relocating the Rada; all deputies will vote from their workplaces in Kyiv.
Broadcasts of sessions will continue while the Rada is working from shelters, according to Ukrinform.
As a reminder, the Verkhovna Rada is changing its operating format due to constant air raid alerts.
The Verkhovna Rada has reappointed Andriy Sibiga as Ukraine’s foreign minister.
Ukraine needs to develop a mechanism for holding elections even in wartime, ensuring the right to vote for all citizens. This opinion was expressed on August 18 by former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
As a reminder, on August 18, the Verkhovna Rada received nominations from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to appoint Yevhen Khmara as Ukraine’s Minister of Defense and Andriy Sibiga as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Verkhovna Rada prematurely terminated the mandates of People’s Deputies Denys Maslov and Vitaliy Bezgin, who were members of the “Servant of the People” faction. Parliament adopted the relevant resolutions at a plenary session on July 17.
