KyivPost . Verkhovna Rada

Azarov calls on the opposition to stop blocking the parliament

June 12, 2013, 11:06 a.m.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has called on MPs not to hinder the development of the Ukrainian economy by blocking the Verkhovna Rada.

Politics – by Interfax-Ukraine

Rybak: Rada won't deal with scheduling of early elections in Kyiv at this week session

June 3, 2013, 4:27 p.m.

Parliament won't consider the issue of scheduling early elections in Kyiv this week, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Rybak has said.

Politics – by Interfax-Ukraine

Poll: Batkivschyna, UDAR, Communist Party's electoral support grows in April

April 29, 2013, 5:13 p.m.

Ukrainians want to see five political parties in the Verkhovna Rada - the Party of Regions, Batkivschyna, UDAR, Svoboda and the Communist Party, according to a survey conducted by the Razumkov Center in April 2013.

Ukraine – by Interfax-Ukraine

Day of hate: Parliament fails to dismiss Azarov’s cabinet

April 19, 2013, 5:06 p.m.

The pavement near Ukraine’s parliament building on the morning of April 19 was packed with bulging luxury cars belonging to lawmakers and members of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Photo – by Oksana Grytsenko

Parliament again fails to set date of Kyiv elections

April 16, 2013, 5:47 p.m.

Ukraine’s parliament failed to schedule regular elections for Kyiv mayorand Kyiv City Council deputies for June 2, 2013 as was proposed by opposition.

Politics – by Oksana Grytsenko

Higher Administrative Court rules offsite parliament meeting on April 4 as lawful

April 12, 2013, 6:01 p.m.

A meeting of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine that was held on April 4 in the assembly hall of parliamentary committees on Bankova Street was lawful, according to the ruling of the Higher Administrative Court of Ukraine on a lawsuit filed by a Ukrainian citizen, which was released by the court's press service on Friday, April 12.

Ukraine – by Interfax-Ukraine

Yanukovych on possible dissolution of Rada: We are not so rich to pay for constant elections

April 11, 2013, 2:49 p.m.

Mykolaiv – Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said he will dissolve the Verkhovna Rada only as a last resort.

Ukraine – by Interfax-Ukraine

Lutsenko brings new hope and new headaches to the opposition

April 9, 2013, 7:08 p.m.

Standing side by side on a stage in front of a crowd of supporters on Sunday afternoon, the three opposition leaders hailed the release from jail of political heavyweight Yuriy Lutsenko.

Politics – by Oksana Grytsenko

Where optimists and pessimists meet

April 6, 2013, 4:10 p.m.

Three years ago, when Viktor Yanukovych was narrowly winning elections over Yulia Tymoshenko, very few people predicted future developments that would result in the full usurpation of power by a well-organized and extremely resourceful group of unscrupulous rent-seekers. It was an open secret, both then and now, that many regional bosses had a criminal past. Hennadiy Moskal, a former deputy minister of internal affairs, maintains that there are at least 18 of them in today’s parliament, all of them in the Party of Regions faction http://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2013/03/21/6986155/.

Op-ed – by Mykola Riabchuk

Parliament splits in half (ROUNDUP)

April 4, 2013, 4:33 p.m.

Ukraine's parliament split in half on April 4, as the pro-presidential majority conducted an alternative parliament session, while the opposition gathered in the regular session hall. The majority's decision was branded as “a coup” by the opposition, which is calling for demonstrations.

Politics – by Katya Gorchinskaya

Pro-presidential majority hijacks parliament session (UPDATED)

April 4, 2013, 11:58 a.m.

As the opposition blocks the parliament demanding to set the date for Kyiv city elections, the pro-presidential majority of 244 voted to start a parliament session in an alternative location.

Politics – by Svitlana Tuchynska

Party of Regions hopes to cooperate with Yatseniuk, sees no way to work with Svoboda

March 30, 2013, 1:21 p.m.

The Party of Regions faction hopes for productive work together with the Batkivschna faction lead by MP Arseniy Yatseniuk, but sees no ways to cooperate with the Svoboda party, MP Volodymyr Saldo of the Party of Regions has said.

Politics – by Interfax-Ukraine

Ivaniushchenko tops list of most ‘truant’ lawmakers (INFOGRAPHICS)

March 26, 2013, 5:04 p.m.

Yuriy Ivaniushchenko, a close acquaintance of President Viktor Yanukovych from the ruling Party of Regions who hails from the president’s hometown of Yenakievo, is the lawmaker most frequently absent from parliament, a watchdog has found.

Politics – by Oksana Grytsenko

Rada votes down law on agricultural industry support

March 22, 2013, 4:44 p.m.

Ukrainian MPs at a plenary sitting on Thursday voted down a law on support for the agricultural industry, a correspondent of Interfax-Ukraine has reported.

Ukraine – by Interfax-Ukraine

Study: Deputies off for 53 days in first hundred days of current parliament

March 22, 2013, 3:56 p.m.

MPs were off for 53 days during the first hundred days of the activity of the newly elected Ukrainian parliament, according to a study conducted by the Opora Civil Network.

Ukraine – by Interfax-Ukraine

Yanukovych: Halt in Rada's work prevents improvement in people's lives

March 21, 2013, 7:43 p.m.

The halt in the Ukrainian parliament's work prevents the authorities from implementing their plans to improve the social and economic situation in the country, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said.

Ukraine – by Interfax-Ukraine

Symonenko: Government working on scenario to elect president in parliament

March 21, 2013, 3:24 p.m.

The current government is working hard to ensure that the president is elected by parliament in 2015, the leader of the Ukrainian Communist Party, Petro Symonenko, has said.

Ukraine – by Interfax-Ukraine

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: The Ukrainian parliament's greatest hits

March 20, 2013, 6:38 p.m.

Egg hurling, punching, bloody faces, torn suits, and deputies carried out on stretchers -- over the past couple of years Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has seen it all. After yet more scuffles this week heralded the beginning of the first legislative session in almost a month, RFE/RL takes a look back at the top five "greatest hits" in the Verkhovna Rada.

1. Eggs And Smoke Bombs

Spontaneous fights are one thing; coming to parliament "armed" with eggs and smoke bombs considerably ups the ante. Cue the chaos of April 27, 2010 following the approval of a highly contested deal that allowed the Russian navy to prolong its stay in Ukraine until 2042.

Ukraine abroad – by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Russia Today: Ukrainian deputies exchange 'fascist' insults, start brawl (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

March 19, 2013, 7:05 p.m.

Dozens of Ukrainian MPs from the two major parties got into a fist fight in the parliament, the Verkhovna Rada. The brawl began with yelling over the language used in the chamber and 'fascist' accusations from both sides.

The session was opened by the head of the ruling Party of Regions, Aleksandr Efremov, speaking in Russian, a language his opponents manifest that they strongly dislike. Ukrainian Liberty Party members made sure nobody could hear the speech by chanting “Speak Ukrainian!” out loud and drumming with their hands against the desks.

The chanting took place for all six minutes of Efremov's speech, during which he called the speech-spoilers “the chanting neo-fascists.”

Ukraine abroad – by Russia Today

BBC: Deputies throw punches in Ukraine parliament braw

March 19, 2013, 3:55 p.m.

Ukraine's parliament was suspended for a short period after fighting erupted among MPs from the president's party and a far-right opposition faction, over a speech made in Russian.

Clashes broke out when the parliamentary leader of President Viktor Yanukovich's Party of the Regions, accused deputies from Svoboda of being neo-fascists after they booed a speech he made in Russian.

Ukraine abroad – by BBC