Parliament unblocked after Yanukovych televised claim (UPDATED)

The three
oppositional factions of Batkivchshyna, UDAR and Svoboda have been blocking the
parliamentary lectern since Feb. 5 when this year’s first session was scheduled
to commence. They have been demanding that each member of parliament vote
personally, and stop the unconstitutional practice of multiple voting, dubbed
“piano playing” by Ukrainian media. 

Dozens of UDAR
faction members, led by heavyweight world boxing champion turned politician
Vitaly Klitshcko, have been spending nights in the session hall, fearing that
the ruling majority might hold a secret session without the opposition.

On Feb. 22,
minutes after Yanukovych said that according to his information that parliament
had been unblocked, opposition lawmakers unlocked the hall. Oleksandr Turchynov
from Batkivshchyna declared victory for the opposition as the move cleared the
way for a vote on a bill to ensure personal voting is included in parliament’s regulation
procedure.

According to the
amendment, the parliamentary speaker is obliged to start each hearing by listing
the names of absent lawmakers. Their voting cards are to be collected by
the speaker so that nobody uses it for voting instead of the absent member of
parliament.

“The practice of “piano playing is over! (Speaker
Volodymyr )Rybak for the first time read out the names of absent (MP’s)! This
already works!” posted Andriy Pyshnyi, an MP from Batkivshchyna on his official
Facebook page.

The parliament passed the amendment, speaker Rybak said he will sign the document on Feb. 25. Then, the document has to be signed by the president. 

Andriy Pyshnyi, an MP from Batkivshchyna posted the draft law ensuring personal voting is included in parliament’s regulation procedure on his official Facebook page.

Kyiv Post staff writer Svitlana Tuchynska can be
reached at tuchynska@kyivpost.com.