Today, [Friday] laws on pension reforms which will directly affect the lives of every Ukrainian citizen, were passed in parliament. Now every Ukrainian will have to work several years longer before achieving retirement.
248 deputies voted in support of the motion even though it seems only 143 deputies were actually registered to vote in the parliament building.
Multiple voting by deputies is a blantant contravention of the country's Constitution, but takes place with numbing regularity.
Today the majority of deputies were not even bothered to turn up to work for a few hours to discuss such a vital issue, probably because it was the last day of the session before the summer recess. Their decision means Ukrainians now have to work many hundreds of days longer. I guess many of the missing deputies were just too busy packing their suitcases and checking their flight tickets, or maybe had flown out already.
Also today, President Yanukovych, who is 'Guarantor of the Constitution', was asked at a press conference why his younger, parliamentary deputy son, Viktor, had voted in the past in parliament for other deputies in their absence, thus contravening to the Constitution.
His reply? - "When children are picked on - this is something else. I assure you I am not ashamed of my children, my family....When children are dragged into this dirt into which you are trying to drag my children, my family. You could pick on my grandchildren, the oldest is 11 years old - come on, let's go after them too."
[Video of Yanuk jr. voting for four deputies here]
LEvko says: What toe-rags these people are - bloated and drunk with power...there can be no better example of the disregard they have to those they are supposed to serve...half of Ukrainian men will now will probably die before they retire, at the new retirement age of 63. [Male life expectancy in Ukraine is just under 63...]
Reminder: Yanukovych's nickname at the time he was serving his two prison sentences in a young offenders' prison was 'kham' - means boor or lout. I can see why..
The fact is that absentee voting is a common practice. Not just in Ukraine but also in western states. The practice is also common thought the US legislators. This is not a issue of major concern,
ReplyDeleteWhilst it may be seen as an issue of discontent the reality is that had all members been present the results of the vote would most likely be the same.
As to the rise in pension age, this is also not a threatening issue. It brings Ukraine in line with other European and western states. Yes it could have been phased in as opposed to a blanket increase. The fact is this was one of the reform conditions stipulated by the IMF. It may be a political whipping horse but the reforms are justified.
This might be bringing Ukraine into line with other European and western states, but conditions in Ukraine are not the same as in other European and western states. Finding work is incredibly difficult in the current climate, particularly for older people. If a woman loses her job at the age of 48, she will find it practically impossible to find any work, let alone officially documented work. And now, thanks to these "reforms", she will have to wait until she is 60 to receive her pension. So how does she survive in the meantime?
ReplyDeleteIt is incredibly myopic to suggest that such changes are justified.