In October 2013, MPs of Ukraine have drafted 335 bills and resolutions. As for the considered issues, the majority of normative acts do not pertain directly to fulfillment of Ukraine's engagements to signing the Association Agreement. The lion's share of documents are aimed to solve political interests of parties, or implement programs of factions and individual MPs. Civil Network OPORA continues to watch and analyze law-making activities of MPs of Ukraine of VII convocation.
MPs of the Party of Regions have registered 93 draft laws and resolutions, AUU Batkivshchyna – 72, the Communist Party – 30, AUU Svoboda – 24. Members of the UDAR and unaffiliated MPs were the least active in October and registered 11 bills each. 94 interfaction draft laws and resolutions supplemented general results of parliamentary activities. However, one should take into consideration the size of factions when processing such statistics.
The majority of normative acts do not pertain directly to fulfillment of Ukraine's engagements to signing the Association Agreement.
Members of the Party of Regions were mostly focused on financial, economic, and administrative issues, like distribution of the State Budget and amendment of the Tax Code of Ukraine. In particular, they paid special attention to privileges, increased state expenses and administrative penalties, introduction of new taxes etc. 1 formal draft resolution pertain to the defense policy, and 4 to the health care sector. Environment issues and natural resource management remained unconsidered.
Members of AUU Batkivshchyna were focused on the budget and tax policy. They have also paid attention to the politics and state administration. However, members of AUU Batkivshchyna didn't register any draft laws pertaining to the defense, health care, and environment issues.
Economic issues were topical for the members of AUU Svoboda, which were mostly focused on economic issues, particularly on public procurement issues, land rent, consumer protection, and real estate transparency. A lot of legislative initiatives concern introduction of holidays and memorable dates (Draft resolution on celebration of 930th anniversary of foundation of Brody city in Lviv oblast, Draft resolution on celebration of 130th anniversary of Olherd Bochkovskyi, Draft resolution on celebration of 60th anniversary of the Kengir revolt.)
Besides housing sector, the Communists were traditionally focused on social issues, particularly on rights and privileges of working class. Main issues considered by the CPU were the following: wholesale of alcoholic beverages, beer and tobacco products; compulsory disposal of dwellings in case of indebted payments for housing services; violation of labor law during job placement; social protection for employees of enterprises extracting uranium ore.
Members of the UDAR, on the contrary, were concerned not with the issues pertaining to justice and fighting corruption (conclusion of bail agreements, payment of court fees in administrative proceedings, dismissal of judges for violation of oath), and in the politics and state administration (securing the right of factions to put questions to members of the Cabinet of Ministers during the our of questions to the Government, making changes to the calendar plan of the session in order to adopt laws pertaining to EU integration.)
Unaffiliated MPs were focused on economic and administrative activities. A draft law on the possibility of foreign medical treatment for convicted persons, submitted by Anzhelika Labunska, was widely discussed by the public.
In October, three opposition factions (AUU Batkivshchyna, AUU Svoboda, UDAR) continued simultaneously introducing resonant initiatives. They have proposed to introduce a concept "individual amnesty" and broaden powers of the Supreme Court of Ukraine. All factions without exception traditionally introduced draft resolutions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine concerning the celebration of memorable dates.