Reforms for the Future

Reforms for the Future (Ukrainian: Реформи заради майбутнього) was a Ukrainian deputy group turned faction in its national parliament Verkhovna Rada created on February 16, 2011.[1][3] Deputy Ihor Rybakov (earlier elected on the election list of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko), is the group's faction leader.[1] The faction supported the Azarov Government.[4] All members of the group had individually already entered into the parliamentary coalition which supported this government.[4] At its peak the group contained 21 deputies (in January 2012).[5][6] In the parliament elected on 28 October 2012 that started its tasks on 15 December 2012 the faction was not re-created.[7][8][9][10]

Reforms for the Future
Реформи заради майбутнього
LeaderIhor Rybakov
Founded16 February 2011[1]
Dissolved15 December 2012[2]

History

Reforms for the Future started as a new deputy group in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) on August 31, 2010.[11] The Reforms for the Future deputy group stated in September 2010 that it intended to seek the rights of a parliamentary faction.[3] After the cancellation of the Imperative Mandate on October 1, 2010 it became possible for 15 or more deputies to form a parliamentary faction (a lawmaker can join only one faction; the chairman and his two assistants cannot head factions of deputies).[12][13][14][15][16] At that time, the deputy group consisted of 17 deputies expelled from the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc–Batkivschyna faction (BYuT) and two deputies from the Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc faction.[3] MP Ivan Pliusch (at the time an independent MP) joined the group on February 15, 2011.[3] Taras Chornovil joined Reforms for the Future soon after.[4] Setting up a faction without a party is not uncommon in Ukraine's parliamentary history. Several influential parties have been founded after they had already founded a faction in the Verkhovna Rada, examples of this are the Party of Regions, All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland" and Labour Ukraine.[17][18][19][20]

Street advert for the faction in Kyiv (April 2011) near Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.

Rumours that the group was formed by businessmen who allegedly "fled" from BYuT "for fear of political persecution" have been denied by the group.[21] Early 2012 Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko deputy Roman Zabzalyuk was briefly a member of the group; he claimed to investigate political corruption.[6][22] He stated after rejoining the Bloc Yulia Tymoshenko early February 2012 that "They offer $500,000 for a transfer [to the parliamentary group], and then they pay a monthly salary of $20,000-25,000". In contrast, according to the deputy leader of the Reforms for Future group, Volodymyr Kapliyenko, Zabzalyuk had claimed he was "suffering a very serious disease" and the group had raised some $100,000 for Zabzalyuk to undergo surgery in Israel.[22] The day after these allegations were made (9 February 2012) Chornovil left the faction.[23] BYuT deputies claimed mid-February 2012 they had transferred the bribes Zabzalyuk had received to the Okhmatdyt National Children's Hospital.[24]

In the parliament elected on 28 October 2012 that started its tasks on 15 December 2012 the faction was not re-created.[7][8][9][10] But certain former members were re-elected to parliament.[25]

Issue stances

The group supported land reform, pension reform and raising of the retirement age.[4] The group stated it basically supports all reforms initiated by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych "but with corrections".[4]

References
  1. Individual deputies create Reforms for the Sake of Future group in parliament, Kyiv Post (February 16, 2011)
  2. You Scratch My Back, and I’ll Scratch Yours, The Ukrainian Week (26 September 2012)
  3. (in Ukrainian) Завтра в Раді може з'явитися нова фракція, Ukrainian News Agency (February 15, 2011)
  4. (in Ukrainian) "Реформи заради майбутнього" підтримають Януковича у всьому, але мову не здадуть, NEWSru.ua (February 19, 2011)
  5. (in Ukrainian) Група "Реформи заради майбутнього" у Верховній Раді України, Verkhovna Rada
  6. Plenary meetings on January 10, 2012, Verkhovna Rada (10 January 2012)
  7. Parliament of sixth convocation ends its work, Kyiv Post (6 December 2012)
  8. You Scratch My Back, and I’ll Scratch Yours, The Ukrainian Week (26 September 2012)
    Voting for the Verkhovna Rada regulations amendment
    Stenogram of November 6, 2012 session
    Політичний цирк: кнопкодави попалися на своїх звичках (Political circus: the "button-pushers" got caught on its habits). Ukrayinska Pravda.
  9. Yefremov: Regions Party faction already has 223 members, Kyiv Post (28 November 2012 2012)
    A difficult victory for the Party of Regions, Centre for Eastern Studies (31 October 2012)
  10. (in Ukrainian) Депутатські фракції Archived 2010-10-15 at the Wayback Machine, Verkhovna Rada
  11. (in Ukrainian) Депутати - перебіжчики об'єдналися в групу "Реформи заради майбутнього", Gazeta.ua (August 31, 2010)
  12. Rada Approves Cancellation Of Rule That Bans Deputies From Switching Factions Archived 2010-10-09 at the Wayback Machine, The Financial (October 8, 2010)
  13. Update: Return to 1996 Constitution strengthens president, raises legal questions, Kyiv Post (October 1, 2010)
  14. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe: The functioning of democratic institutions in Ukraine, Kyiv Post (October 5, 2010)
  15. Laws of Ukraine. Verkhovna Rada decree No. 2222-IV: About the amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine. Adopted on 2004-12-08. (Ukrainian)
  16. Rada amends regulations of its activities, Kyiv Post (October 8, 2010)
  17. Explaining State Capture and State Capture Modes by Oleksiy Omelyanchuk, Central European University, 2001 (page 22)
  18. 2001 Political sketches: too early for summing up, Central European University (January 4, 2002)
  19. State Building in Ukraine: The Ukrainian Parliament, 1990-2003 by Sarah Whitmore, Routledge, 2004, ISBN 978-0-415-33195-1, page 106
  20. Revolution in Orange: The Origins of Ukraine's Democratic Breakthrough by Anders Aslund and Michael A. McFaul, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2006, ISBN 978-0-87003-221-9
  21. (in Ukrainian) Чорновіл: Створення депутатської групи «Реформи заради майбутнього» стало неприємністю для ПР, 5 Kanal (February 19, 2011)
  22. Turchynov: Batkivschyna knew why Zabzaliuk left faction, Kyiv Post (8 February 2012)
  23. Chornovil leaves Reforms for Future group, Interfax Ukraine (9 February 2012)
  24. Batkivschyna transfers Hr 3.6 million to Okhmatdyt National Children's Hospital, Kyiv Post (17 February 2012)
  25. (in Ukrainian) Список депутатів нової Верховної Ради, Ukrayinska Pravda (11 November 2012)
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