Press Release
President Leonid Kuchma Signs Decree on Proclaiming All-Ukrainian Referendum on People's Initiative
January 18, 2000 #6
President Leonid Kuchma signed a decree on January 15, which the media circulated, DINAU
reported.
The decree (no. 65/2000) "On proclaiming an all-Ukrainian referendum on the people's initiative
states the demand, which over three million Ukrainian citizens have voiced by their signatures,
endorsed by a protocol of the Central Electoral Commission of January 15, 2000, as its
undelying reason, while proceeding from the dire need to solve the country's most pressing,
social and economic problems, to ensure the State mechanism's efficient functioning and
overcoming the several-year-long confrontation between the legislative and executive branches.
The decree sets the all-Ukrainian referendum's date on Sunday, April 16, 2000.
The decree specifies that the all-Ukrainian referendum must be held through secret ballot, with
the voting-slip-questionnares comprising six questions, requiring answers "yes" or "no".
The questions are as follows;
- Do you voice support for non-confidence vote with regard to the Verkhovna Rada of the 14th
convention and, in connection with this, for adding a provision to Part 2 of Article 80 of the
Constitution which would specify that in case an all-Ukrainian referendum expresses
non-confidence, that will give the President grounds to dissolve the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine?
(Yes/No)
- Do you support suggestions that Article 80 of the Constitution incorporate a new Part 3,
specifying that the President may terminate the Verkhovna Rada's competence ahead of the
expiration term, if it has failed to form a parliamentary majority, within a month's term, or in case it
fails to endorse, within a three months' period, the Cabinet-sumbitted national budget, which part
would also specify additional reasons for the President dissolving the Verkhovna Rada, and
relevant addition to Clause 8 of Part 3 of Article 106 of the Constitution of the words "and in
other cases, as provided for by the Constitution of Ukraine"?
(Yes/No)
- Do you agree to limiting the People's Deputies' immunity and so to deleting Part 3 of Article 80
of the Constitution which specifies that the People's Deputies of Ukraine may not be brought to
criminal responsibility, detained or arrested without the Verkhovna Rada's consent?
(Yes/No)
- Do you agree to reducing the total number of People's Deputies of Ukraine from 450 to 300
and to inserting relevant changes in Part 1 of Article 76 of the Constitution?
(Yes/No)
- Do you support the need to form a two-house Parliament in Ukraine, with one of the houses
representing the region's interests and promoting these, through making necessary amendments
to the Constitution and election-related legislation?
(Yes/No)
- Do you agree to the proposal that the Constitution of Ukraine must be adopted by an
all-Ukrainian referendum?
(Yes/No)
The decree vests the Central Electoral Commission, territorialand constituency commissions
with the authority to carry out preparations for and holding the referendum, in line with the Law
of Ukraine "On the Central Electoral Commission" and the Law of Ukraine "On All-Ukrainian and Local Referenda."
The decree also instructs the Cabinet of Ministers to ensure the referendum's financing in
accordance with the Central Electoral Commission's estimated outlays to this end.
The decree comes into effect on the signing date, the document says.
For more information, please contact:
Taras Malyshevskyi, Press Secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine
310 Somerset Street West, Ottawa, ON K2P 0J9
Tel. (613) 230-2961, fax (613) 230-2400,
E-mail: ukremb@cyberus.ca
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