Representatives of the five factions of the parliamentary coalition did not support an OPPOSITION BLOC initiative to establish a committee on comprehensive solutions to the problems of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts as well as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Serhiy Lovochkin, an OPPOSITION BLOC leader said this at a press briefing on the sidelines of the parliament on Wednesday, November 26.

At the same time, he said, the Preparatory Deputy Group formed the agenda of the first session of the 8th convocation of the Verkhovna Rada.

“The number of committees that will work in the parliament of the 8th convocation has been agreed. There will be 27 committees. The fundamental position of the OPPOSITION BLOC was that our parliament should include a committee working on comprehensive solutions to the problems of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts as well as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Unfortunately, this proposal was not supported by representatives of the five coalition factions. There will be no special Committee on Donbas and Crimea in this convocation of the parliament,” Serhiy Lovochkin noted.

The politician added that the OPPOSITION BLOC would force the authorities to solve the problems of people living in Donbas.

“Everything that happens in Donbas now is a humanitarian disaster! I get dozens of phone calls, and people tell me there is no power, no heat, no money just to buy food. This is what the government must deal with. We do not hear answers to these questions. I assure you that the OPPOSITION BLOC will do everything possible in the Rada to make the government face people,” Serhiy Lovochkin stressed.

According to him, members of the Preparatory Deputy Group also agreed on the issue of seating deputies in the session hall.

“The most important thing is not where deputies sit in the hall, but what they do for the Ukrainian people,” the politician said.

“Today almost all conflict issues that arose during the work of the preparatory group have been solved,” he said.

Serhiy Lovochkin also added that members of the opposition are not afraid of provocations announced by pro-government parties.

“The OPPOSITION BLOC is not afraid of anything. We were elected to the Rada, we received the mandate from our voters, and we will work to protect their interests here. Whatever happens in the session hall will be a test for all that will reveal just how Europe-oriented, democratic and civil they are. So I hope that everyone will behave sensibly,” the politician summed up.