Bill to reduce number of Ukrainian MPs to 300 submitted to Constitutional Court

A total of 258 MPs supported the decision to approve a respective resolution as a whole at a parliament meeting on Tuesday, September 3, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

The bill proposes reducing the constitutional composition of people's deputies of Ukraine to 300 persons from the current 450, as well as excluding from Article 76 of the Constitution of Ukraine the principles of universal, equal and direct suffrage, by secret ballot, as it duplicates Article 71.

It is also envisaged to introduce an electoral qualification such as knowledge of the state language and to change the electoral system by securing a proportional electoral system in parliamentary elections.

Section XV "Transitional Provisions" of the Constitution of Ukraine, with the aim of regulating the status of the Verkhovna Rada of the ninth convocation, is to be supplemented with the following paragraph: "17. After the law of Ukraine on the introduction of amendments to Articles 76 and 77 of the Constitution of Ukraine (on reducing the constitutional composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and securing a proportional electoral system) comes into force, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, elected before the entry into force of the said law, continues to exercise its powers until the next election of people's deputies of Ukraine."

The adoption of this law is aimed at optimizing the work of parliament and ensuring the effective performance of its functions.

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