08/31/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - MPs approved amendments to the Constitution in the first reading

MPs approved amendments to the Constitution in the first reading

08.31.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• MPs approved amendments to the Constitution in the first reading.
• A tragedy in front of the Verkhovna Rada building.

Key Events in Ukraine

• The last day of the summer session of the Verkhovna Rada ended with a positive voting on the adoption in the final first reading of the presidential draft amendments to the Constitution, despite the attempts by some factions to block the parliamentary rostrum. The bill was supported by the representatives of the "Opposition Bloc". "Samopomich" expelled from the faction five deputies who supported the bill, including the first number on its electoral list. A strong rally of the opponents of constitutional amendments gathered in front of the Verkhovna Rada building. Police units and the National Guard concentrated in downtown Kyiv cordoned off the Parliament building and the government quarter. Members of one of the most radical political forces, Svoboda party, started provoking the law enforcement and created disorder. A grenade was thrown at law enforcement officers, killing one soldier of the National Guard. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said over 130 people were injured in the explosion. 30 protestors were detained, including the man who threw the grenade. General Prosecutor's Office qualified the incident as a terrorist attack. Avakov blamed the members and leadership of Svoboda party for the incident. President Poroshenko accused the members of the coalition who voted against his bill of acting destructively against the interests of Ukraine, and called the collisions in front of the Parliament that led to the loss of human life a "stab in the back". He insisted on a severe punishment of its organizers and perpetrators.
• The leader of "Samopomich" Sadovyi was interrogated at the Prosecutor General's Office as a witness in the case of bribing MPs during the vote at the Parliament on the draft amendments to the Constitution.
• On September 1, the price of electricity for households increased by 25%.
• Finance Minister Yaresko offered to legalize gambling. According to her, this would bring additional 5 billion hryvnia to the budget.
• National Bank lowered the official hryvnia exchange rate by almost 3%: 21.81 ₴/$ (+0.61 UAH), 24.46 ₴ / € (+0.58 UAH), 3.27 ₴ / 10 RUR (+0.08 UAH) .

Ukraine at War

• The number of militants' attacks recorded in Donbas over the past day decreased significantly. Nevertheless, five Ukrainian servicemen were wounded. Observers and intelligence report about the ongoing rearrangement of the occupation forces and their additional manning with Russian officers and mercenaries. Supplies of equipment and ammunition for the rebels continue across the border with Russia.
• The base currency of the "Luhansk Republic" starting September 1 will be the Russian ruble due to the "economic blockade on the part of Ukraine." Multi-currency settlement system will remain in force, but all payments will be tied to the ruble.

Ukraine and the World

• German Chancellor Merkel said that the next meeting in the Normandy format is conditional on the progress in resolving the situation in Donbas. Until that time, telephone negotiations of the four leaders and foreign ministers' meetings could be held.
• According to Merkel, if the problem of the refugees from the Middle East is not resolved, the existence of the Schengen Agreement might come into question. In the recent months, Europe has overwhelmed with the flow of illegal migrants.

The Trends

• According to many observers, the degree of tension in the society is growing, and therefore the bloody events in front of the Verkhovna Rada could be predicted in advance. Civil activists accuse the authorities of backroom decisions, based on an agreement with the aggressor, which may lead to a loss of national sovereignty.
• Some experts believe that the attack could be organized by special services to unleash the campaign to discredit the patriotic forces and to divert public attention from the resonant vote to amend the Constitution.
• Ukrop party associated with oligarch Kolomoisky stated that the voting for the bill of the ruling coalition in full solidarity with the former members of the Party of Regions is evidence of the betrayal of national interests. The party's political council condemned the methods of terror used resolve political issues; however, amending the Constitution without taking into account the interests of the citizens could lead to the dismemberment of the country and to unhinging the situation inside the country in the best interests of the Kremlin.