In order to unite Ukraine and help it get out of today’s crisis, it is necessary a constitutional reform that will introduce direct elections of governors, reduce the number of MPs, deprive the president of some powers, transferring them to the parliament. The MP from the OPPOSITION BLOC Serhiy Lovochkin wrote about this in his article “Power to Ukraine’s People” for the American news magazine “U.S. News & World Report”.
“The new Constitution can and should be a way out of today’s crisis. To ensure that the structural reforms that lead to peace to become the source of growth for Ukraine, all Ukrainian citizens in all regions should get more rights to determine who will be their own power,” Serhiy Lovochkin noted in the article.
According to him, this means direct elections of governors, not their appointment by the president, reduction of the number of MPs, as well as the transfer to the parliament of most of the credentials that have been usurped in recent years by strong presidential power.
The MP stressed that the constitutional and broad legislative changes that are necessary to achieve these goals can only take place as a result of national reconciliation, dialogue and reintegration of Donbas. “Those who want the end of the war and the real unification of the country - this is almost 80% of Ukrainians - support this concept,” Serhiy Lovochkin emphasized.
In his opinion, despite the pathos of the frozen three-year conflict in Ukraine, perhaps now is a good time for moving forward towards peace.
“Recently, a Russian high-ranking official for the first time recognized the need for direct negotiations between Moscow and Washington on the issue of Ukraine. However, the new US president, who is under fire for his opponents for allegedly being close to Russia, can prepare several surprises when he has the opportunity to become a potential peacekeeper. As Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in his recent statement, now, perhaps, it’s time to go beyond the limitations of the Minsk process when it comes to decisions for Ukraine,” Serhiy Lovochkin noted.
In his opinion, changes in Ukraine should begin from within, and the best way to make these changes irreversible is constitutional reform. “Reforms should be aimed at correcting those imbalances that exist in our political structures. These changes can become a road to peace in Ukraine and give new energy for its development. Now we must find an inner determination to provide our children with the one-and-only Ukraine they really deserve,” the MP said.
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