The Verkhovna Rada has passed at first reading a new draft of the Criminal Procedure Code submitted by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
In addition, the parliament decided on Thursday to set up a working group to prepare the draft Criminal Code for second reading. The working group will include representatives of the president, the Verkhovna Rada, and experts from the judicial field.
The document was supported by 189 lawmakers from the Regions Party, twenty MPs of the People’s Party, eighteen members of the Reforms for Future group, sixteen independent MPs, ten members of the Our Ukraine-People’s Self-Defense faction. The members of the BYT faction and the Communist Party faction didn’t vote for the bill.
