Results of a Study on the Activities of Political Parties and Blocs in the Area of Human Rights since the Elections” – Press statement

20.12.2006

At a press conference held on Wednesday 20 December, the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union presented the results of their analysis of the legislative activities and implementation of pre-election manifestos of the different parties and blocs from March to November 2006. These have been collected in a book “The Activities of political parties and blocs in the area of human rights since the elections”. 

The material was presented by Volodymyr Yavorsky, UHHRU Executive Director, compiler and editor, and Maxim Shcherbatyuk, a lawyer for the UHHRU who was involved in the study.

The collection contains a review of legislative initiatives from political parties and blocs which have been submitted to parliament since the elections in March 2006.  The study considered how politicians took into account issues regarding human rights and fundamental freedoms in Ukraine, as well as the level of implementation of pre-election programs.

The study was aimed at analyzing the activities of newly-elected State Deputies. Given the increase in powers of parliament and the introduction of proportional representation, the focus was on those political parties and blocs which were elected and formed the corresponding factions.  These are the Communist Party of Ukraine (CPU), the Socialist Party of Ukraine (SPU), the bloc “Nasha Ukraina” [NU], the bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko (BYuT) and the Party of the Regions of Ukraine [PR].

A rating was prepared for the level of effectiveness of the work of a particular faction in terms of affirmation of human rights and fundamental freedoms.  It was based on the results of voting in parliament on 36 draft laws pertaining to various rights and freedoms, as well as on an analysis of the implementation of the right to submit legislative initiatives by parliamentarians.  The results were: “Nasha Ukraina” – 18; SPU and the Party of the Regions – 14; BYuT  - 8, CPU – 7.

The most dangerous legislative initiatives from the point of view of human rights were the draft laws:

“On a national demographic register” (Tsushko [SPU], Seminoha [BYuT], Onishchuk, Yekhanurov, Moisyk, [NU] and Marmazov [CPU];

“On documents which identify a person and confirm citizenship of Ukraine” (No. 2478 from 03.11.2006, Cabinet of Ministers].

UHHRU also analyzed the level to which parties were implementing their pre-election programs in the area of human rights.

“Effectively no party is keeping its promises. Although with regard to some promises, legislative initiatives have already been put forward, for example, giving the Russian language equal status to Ukrainian [SPU, PR], introducing medical insurance [BYuT], reform of the army [NU]. On certain issues the situation has deteriorated, for example, protection of trade union rights, and of certain socio-economic rights.  Parliament is not even preparing draft laws to introduce serious reforms.  This function is being carried out by the President”, the UHHRU Executive Director stated.

The study was carried out by the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union with the support of the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC, Monpellier, Vermont, USA) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). 

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