Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko has said he is confident the Verkhovna Rada has no right to go on holiday until the MPs pass amendments to the national budget for 2008 and bills on the court reform. The Ukrainian head of state was speaking during a joint press conference with Maltese President Edward Fenech Adami in Kyiv on Wednesday.
Yushchenko said that the state should meet its social commitments to the public. "We have inflation of 15.5% in six months. This obliges, first and foremost, the government and, secondly, the parliament, and all politicians to compensate for the spending to poor people, review pensions and salaries," he said.
Yushchenko said the parliament should also pass bills on the reform of a judicial system and the status of judges. "This is as important, as the passing of amendments to the budget for 2008. I am calling on the coalition and the opposition to reach a compromise and return to consideration of these bills," he said.
The governmental bill on the introduction of amendments to the national budget for 2008 and amending certain Ukrainian laws was registered in the parliament on July 7. However, the Verkhovna Rada failed to consider the document within two plenary meetings. The Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko blocked the parliament's rostrum on July 8 and in the morning on July 9, as it wants amendments to the national budget for 2008 to be urgently considered. The opposition, in turn, wants urgent consideration of a government report on Ukraine's social and economic situation.
Announcement of events
