Committee on Organization of State Government, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning has considered a part of amendments to draft law #3485. They also included amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code, which were once submitted by the Civil Network OPORA (in the former draft law #8270). The Committee rejected most of the amendments from MPs. This was discussed on July 1 meeting.
The comparative table prepared by the Committee contains 4,046 amendments from 92 subjects entitled to the right of legislative initiative. According to the Head of Sub-Committee on Elections, Referendums and other Forms of Democracy Alina Zahoruiko, 602 amendments were included, 12 partially included, 101 included but edited, 3,173 rejected, and 158 amendments which didn't receive an unanimous position of Committee and Sub-Committee members, were left for consideration of the Committee.
She proposed to consider amendments to the draft law in parts, amending the Code of Administrative Offenses, the Criminal Code, the Law on the Central Election Commission, the Code of Administrative Procedure of Ukraine, the Law on the State Register of Voters, the Law of Ukraine on Prevention of Corruption, the Law on Civil Service, the Electoral Code, the Law of Ukraine on the Status of Local Council Members, the Law of Ukraine on Local Self-Government in Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine on Civil Service in Local Self-Government Bodies.
MPs submitted 25 proposals and amendments to the draft law concerning the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses. The Committee recommended to accept 1 amendment partially and reject the other.
“As for administrative offenses, we expect to increase fines for the violation of campaigning rules, establish administrative liability for indirect bribery as a separate form of campaigning violations, and split administrative and criminal liability. It also establishes administrative liability if a voter hides or destroys his/her ballot paper, and if anyone obstructs to activities of an electoral subject in office or realizing electoral procedures,” - Alina Zahoruiko explained.
MPs submitted 72 amendments and proposals to the draft law that concern the Criminal Code. The Committee recommended to reject 23 amendments.
"It was about the introduction of proportional sanctions for violations of electoral law and ensuring the certainty of punishment. Which changes are proposed? Deprivation of the right to hold the certain positions or engage in the certain activities for 5 years, as an additional punishment if a person is convicted of an electoral crime. Illegal interference of an official may appear not only via a lawful request or instruction, but also in a form of any other illegal influence using official position and is provided only in case of systematic evasion of duties by an election commission member. It also introduced liability for ballot box stuffing, increased penalties for illegal use of ballots, specified the Article 158-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine on illegal destruction or damage to electoral documents. Important changes that are proposed also concern the abuse of passive suffrage. In particular, it is proposed to introduce penalties for bribing a candidate in the election," - Zahoruiko said.
We would like to remind that draft amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code were developed by specialists of the MIA of Ukraine, the Main Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine, and experts of the Civil Network OPORA. In the process of drafting the bill, a long-ter