Until the end of 2020: the Verkhovna Rada extended the law on the special status of Donbass

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine extended until December 31, 2020 the law "On the special order of self-government in certain regions of Donetsk and Lugansk regions." 320 people's deputies voted for the adoption of the document with the required minimum of 226 votes. 18 members of Svyatoslav Vakarchuk's “Voice” party, one representative of the Fatherland party, headed by Yulia Tymoshenko, and one non-factional deputy, opposed the law.

Now the bill should be signed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, after which it will enter into force.

“In article 1 of the Law of Ukraine“ On the special procedure of local self-government in certain regions of Donetsk and Lugansk regions ”(Vedomosti of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, 2014, No. 45, Article 2043), replace the numbers“ 2019 ”with the numbers“ 2020, ”the draft document says. .

The explanatory note also indicates that the law aims to create additional temporary opportunities for the implementation of the relevant legislative conditions, which are aimed at a peaceful settlement of the situation in the Donbass "based on the principles and norms of international law and the UN Charter."

As stated in the ruling faction "Servant of the people", the adoption of the law means the commitment of Kiev, which Vladimir Zelensky has already demonstrated during the Norman summit in Paris, to a peaceful resolution of the Donbass problem.

Initially, the document was adopted on October 18, 2014 as part of Kiev’s obligations under the Minsk Agreements. Separate areas of Donetsk and Lugansk regions were supposed to receive the so-called special status after local elections were held according to Ukrainian laws and under the supervision of international observers. Meanwhile, the document over the past five years has not been implemented.

At the same time, Steinmeier’s formula was approved this fall, which governs the implementation of the law on the special status of Donbass. It is assumed that local elections will be held in the republics, however, before the vote, the law will be applied on a temporary basis, and after the election and recognition of them fair by the OSCE, the law will gain final legal force. Thanks to the approval of Steinmeier’s formula, for the first time since 2016, a Leadership Summit was organized in the Norman format.

• Verkhovna Rada Meeting Room
• © Valentyn Ogirenko / Reuters

After the meeting of the Norman four held on December 9, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky emphasized that the law on the special status of Donbass will continue to operate as a temporary one.

“We should not coordinate this bill with a tripartite contact group, where we can then get our hands twisted. And this law already exists, we continue it for a year, ”the president of Ukraine explained.

According to him, in 2020 a new bill will be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada for consideration, which will be previously agreed upon at the talks in Minsk.

"Imitation of activity"

Political scientist Ivan Mezyuho in the light of the statement of the Ukrainian leader called the extension of the law expected.

“The law alone does not solve the main thing - the issue of establishing peace in the east of Ukraine. I think that the most basic thing now is how Kiev intends to comply with the Minsk agreements or, after all, the Ukrainian side intends to push for amendments to the document. Today, judging by the mixed statements of the representatives of the team of the Ukrainian leader, the Ukrainian state does not have a well-defined strategy in foreign affairs. That is why it is extremely difficult to evaluate some statements and decisions of both the president and the parliament of Ukraine, ”the source said.

In turn, Andrei Suzdaltsev, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of World Economy and World Politics at the Higher School of Economics, called the extension of the document “a demonstration of half measures” that Kiev took upon itself after the Norman summit.

“In fact, he imitates the implementation of the Minsk agreements. What is the scandal is that not only do we need a law for certain regions, but we need changes to the Constitution. Kiev doesn’t even hear about it, but it’s in the clause of the Minsk agreements (“Minsk-2”). At first they said that a year was needed, then they said that they would develop after the Norman meeting, that is, different reasons are being sought. The most important thing is the Constitution. They don’t even talk about her. Time will simply drag on and imitate that they are doing Minsk-2, ”the expert noted in a conversation with RT.