{"id":6996,"date":"2022-04-29T12:57:47","date_gmt":"2022-04-29T10:57:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/?p=6996"},"modified":"2022-04-29T12:57:47","modified_gmt":"2022-04-29T10:57:47","slug":"gifts-for-the-armed-forces-restrictions-for-state-and-local-officials-and-the-title-of-hero-of-ukraine-for-foreign-citizens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/uncategorized\/gifts-for-the-armed-forces-restrictions-for-state-and-local-officials-and-the-title-of-hero-of-ukraine-for-foreign-citizens\/","title":{"rendered":"Gifts for the Armed Forces, restrictions for state and local officials, and the title of Hero of Ukraine for foreign citizens"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">MPs propose to punish officials that have not returned to Ukraine after the introduction of martial law, significantly reduce remuneration for judges, and temporary recall bodyguards now protecting former top officials.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Qualifications on how to apply the Law on Prevention of Corruption under the martial law<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Draft bill <a style=\"color: #800000;\" href=\"https:\/\/itd.rada.gov.ua\/billInfo\/Bills\/Card\/39420\"># 7280 of April 12, 2022<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Cosponsors<\/strong>: eight MPs from all factions of the Verkhovna Rada with Anastasiia Radina (Servant of the People) as the first signatory.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Who is affected<\/strong>: the President, members of the Cabinet, MPs, local councilors, civil servants, judges, prosecutors, the Security Service, the SBI, the NABU, members of the Central Election Commission, service members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military units, inhabitants of the temporarily occupied territories and combat zones, and employees of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Summary of the bill<\/strong>: when martial law is in force, officials will be allowed to receive the following gifts:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">money and goods that are received for free or for a price lower than minimal market value:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">if these gifts were donated to special accounts opened by the National Bank or transferred to the Armed Forces or other military units \u2014 in particular, to boost combat preparedness, fighting efficiency, mobilization capacity, or work of the Armed Forces<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">if these gifts were donated as humanitarian aid for persons affected by the armed aggression of russia<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">persons submitting declarations will be allowed not to declare money and property donated to the Armed Forces or persons affected by the armed aggression of russia.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>What is right:<\/strong> people fulfilling the functions of the state or local self-government are under significant restrictions as to how they can get and manage their money and property. In particular, they cannot receive or donate assets to the Armed Forces or a humanitarian effort without violating the current version of the Law on Prevention of Corruption. The proposed bill amends these shortcomings.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Restrictions for state and local authorities<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Draft bill <a style=\"color: #800000;\" href=\"https:\/\/itd.rada.gov.ua\/billInfo\/Bills\/Card\/39454\"># 7303 of April 20, 2022<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Cosponsors<\/strong>: Serhii Kuzminikh and Heorhii Mazurashu, Servant of the People faction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Who is affected:<\/strong> the President, members of the Cabinet, MPs, local councilors, civil servants, judges, prosecutors, the Security Service, the State Bureau of Investigation, the NABU, members of the Central Election Commission, members of supervisory boards of state banks and state companies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Summary of the bill:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">new regulations for persons authorized to fulfill the functions of the state or local self-government:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">criminal punishment will be introduced for failure to return to Ukraine without legitimate reason after the introduction of martial law<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">deadline for returning to Ukraine from abroad will be defined by the President<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">penalty for failure to return will be imprisonment from five to ten years<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">legitimate reasons preventing the return are the prohibition to leave the country of residence, natural disasters, catastrophes, accidents, business trips, medical treatment, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">while martial law is in force and during the period of restoration of the destroyed infrastructure:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">bodyguards protecting former top officials will be recalled: from former presidents (they have the right to permanent state protection) and also former speakers of the Parliament, prime ministers, heads of the Constitutional Court, and ministers of foreign affairs and defense (they have the right to state protection within a year after the dismissal)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">the state will cut allowance for judges of the Constitutional Court. Also, they will receive regular pensions instead of a special permanent allowance provided by the state. Under current legislation, retired judges of the Constitutional Court receive permanent allowance of over \u20b490\u00a0thousand. If the bill is adopted, they will have no more than \u20b419 thousand.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Background information:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">a group of MPs from the Servant of the People faction <span style=\"color: #800000;\"><a style=\"color: #800000;\" href=\"https:\/\/itd.rada.gov.ua\/billInfo\/Bills\/Card\/39391\">has registered a draft bill<\/a><\/span> introducing criminal punishment for several categories of citizens that failed to return to Ukraine after the introduction of martial law. In particular, that draft bill specified citizens subject to military service and \u201cother persons whose return is provisioned by law\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">however, <span style=\"color: #800000;\"><a style=\"color: #800000;\" href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/David_Arakhamia\/62\">Davyd Arakhamia, the head of the Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada<\/a>,<\/span> later announced that the faction will not vote for this bill since their aim is \u201cto punish several dozens of officials and MPs who fled from Ukraine in the time of war.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">What is wrong:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">it is unjustified to introduce criminal punishment for failure to return to Ukraine from abroad after martial law is declared. Employees that fled from Ukraine or failed to appear at their workplace can be dismissed for gross violation of labor legislation. MPs or the President should be held responsible for their actions by Ukrainian voters<\/span><\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">the draft bill affects significantly more than \u201cseveral dozens of officials.\u201d In the proposed version, new regulations are supposed to be applied to civil servants, and that is <span style=\"color: #800000;\"><a style=\"color: #800000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slovoidilo.ua\/2020\/02\/13\/infografika\/suspilstvo\/skilky-derzhsluzhbovcziv-prypadaye-dushu-naselennya-krayinax-svitu\">over 244\u00a0thousand people as of 2020<\/a><\/span>. Many of them are women, so they had an option to leave the country if concerned for their personal safety, the safety of their relatives or children<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">there is no reason to address the issues of state bodyguards for former top officials or remuneration and pensions for judges of the Constitutional Court under martial law and during the period of the restoration of infrastructure in this draft bill: its primary focus is on an entirely different subject<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">remuneration and pension cuts for judges of the Constitutional Court violate the Constitution. The Constitutional Court<span style=\"color: #800000;\"> <a style=\"color: #800000;\" href=\"https:\/\/ccu.gov.ua\/novyna\/uhvaleno-rishennya-konstytuciynogo-sudu-ukrayiny-0\">on several occasions ruled<\/a><\/span> that allowance and pension cuts for judges are unconstitutional. Financial allowance is a cornerstone of an independent judiciary, so its reduction will make the judiciary subordinate to officials in power.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Alternative solution:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">it is enough to just dismiss civil servants and other employees who fled from the territory of Ukraine after the beginning of the russian military aggression against Ukraine, there is no reason to introduce criminal punishment for them<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">MPs and other elected officials should be held accountable by their voters or dismissed on the grounds defined by laws and the Constitution<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">the draft bill has to be divided into two separate bills. One of them can regulate the issue of the failure to return to Ukraine by top officials or their dismissal. The other has to regulate remuneration for judges and provide clear grounds, criteria, and terms when restrictions on remuneration can be applied.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Permission to award the title of Hero of Ukraine to foreigners<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Draft bill <a style=\"color: #800000;\" href=\"https:\/\/itd.rada.gov.ua\/billInfo\/Bills\/Card\/39456\"># 7296 of April 18, 2022<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Sponsor:<\/strong> Oleksii Honcharenko, European Solidarity faction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Who is affected<\/strong>: foreigners, stateless persons, and the President.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"justify\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Summary of the bill:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">the bill will allow awarding the title of Hero of Ukraine to foreigners and stateless persons for heroic deeds \u2014 protection of rights and freedoms of Ukrainian citizens, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, outstanding labor achievement<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">it will also be possible to award the title of Hero of Ukraine to foreigners and stateless persons posthumously.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Why this is important:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unian.ua\/war\/viyskoviy-analitik-msnbc-stav-na-zahist-ukrajini-u-viyni-i-rozpoviv-pro-internacionalniy-legion-novini-vtorgnennya-rosiji-v-ukrajinu-11792736.html\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">citizens of other countries<\/span><\/a> do participate in fighting off the armed aggression of russia against Ukraine<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">there were precedents when foreigners received the title of Hero of Ukraine. The title was awarded posthumously as an exception to a foreigner awarded with the Order of Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred: in 2017, the title of Hero of Ukraine was awarded to the participant of the Revolution of Dignity <span style=\"color: #800000;\"><a style=\"color: #800000;\" href=\"https:\/\/zakon.rada.gov.ua\/laws\/show\/158\/2017#Text\">Mykhailo Zhyznevskyi<\/a><\/span>, a citizen of Belarus.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MPs propose to punish officials that have not returned to Ukraine after the introduction of martial law, significantly reduce remuneration for judges, and temporary recall bodyguards now protecting former top officials. Qualifications on how to apply the Law on Prevention of Corruption under the martial law Draft bill # 7280 of April 12, 2022 Cosponsors: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":6997,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[320,414,342],"level":[],"area":[],"coauthors":[519],"class_list":["post-6996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-kabmin-en","tag-local_government","tag-president"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6996"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6996"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6996\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6996"},{"taxonomy":"level","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/level?post=6996"},{"taxonomy":"area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/area?post=6996"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centreua.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=6996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}