Viktor Yushchenko also proposed to reduce the number of deputies and deprive them of immunity against prosecution. He believes these measures will help to settle the continued political crisis in Ukraine.

“The inability to form a government would only lead to the dissolution and early election of the lower chamber, while the parliament as a whole would preserve its efficiency,” the president said.

Communist deputies place a poster depicting the President Victor Yushchenko as Uncle Sam on March 31, 2009 (AFP Photo / Sergei Supinsky)

During Yushchenko’s term parliamentary elections have been held twice – in March 2006 and September 2007. The last one was a snap election. Last year the parliament was also on the brink of dissolution, when the president signed a special decree but then had to revoke it because of the financial crisis.

Unexpectedly enough, Yushchenko came up with the idea to ‘overcome the dualism of the executive’ and give the government more power.

According to the proposed scheme, the government will be formed by the winner in the parliamentary election, without any involvement of the president. The cabinet, ‘needs to be independent’ to assure domestic and foreign policy.

The presidential power thus limits itself to representative functions such as guaranteeing sovereignty and territorial integrity.

First reactions

Observers believe the reform is meant to reduce political weight of his two rivals Yulia Timoshenko and Viktor Yanukovich, who are expected to be front-runners in the presidential campaign. President Yushchenko himself is extremely unpopular and will likely lose if he decides to stand for re-election.

Parliamentarians have been wary of the constitutional change.

“It’s a bad sign. Let’s leave this alone. We’d better think about making the parliament and the government efficient,” stated Nikolay Tomenko, deputy speaker of the Supreme Rada, member of Yulia Timoshenko’s bloc.

Boris Kolesnikov from Yanukovich’s Party of Regions was not enthusiastic about the proposal either:

“If the bicameral parliament is needed for Yushchenko to get the upper chamber veto bills instead of him, this Constitution won’t be adopted.”