Ministers are proposed to be dismissed by councils based on interpellation: a bill has been registered in parliament

A group of people's deputies has submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada that would allow ministers to be dismissed from the Cabinet of Ministers following an interpellation procedure – a parliamentary review of a minister's actions or inactions with a demand for explanations and an assessment of their activities. This is reported by UNN with reference to the bill card No. 13596.

Details

According to the bill, the concept of "interpellation" is defined as the initiative-based mandatory consideration by the Verkhovna Rada of the issue of the activity of an individual member of the Cabinet of Ministers with a demand for explanations regarding issues within their authority, and the resolution of the question of the satisfactory nature of their work.

The concept of "deputy's demand for interpellation" is also defined as a written demand from people's deputies or a Verkhovna Rada committee, which is declared at a parliamentary session regarding the appointment of an interpellation.

The grounds for interpellation are decisions, actions, or inactions of individual government members, as a result of which:

• the rights and interests of Ukraine, foreign states or other subjects of international law, territorial communities, individuals and legal entities may be violated;
• obstacles may be created for the realization of legitimate interests or freedoms by subjects of legal relations;
• any obligations may be unlawfully imposed on subjects of legal relations;
• international treaties of Ukraine, concluded on behalf of the government of Ukraine or on behalf of ministries, may not be fulfilled, or fulfilled incompletely, or such treaties may be concluded in violation of the national interests of Ukraine.

At least 45 deputies or a Verkhovna Rada committee have the right to address the Speaker of the Rada at a parliamentary session with a deputy's demand, which must contain:

• information about the specific member of the Cabinet of Ministers regarding whom the interpellation is demanded;
• statement of facts and circumstances;
• signatures of people's deputies or an extract from the minutes of the committee meeting.

The Speaker is obliged to consider the deputy's demand within 15 days and appoint an interpellation. At the same time, he sends the deputy's demand to the designated member of the Cabinet of Ministers at least four days before the interpellation, and a copy to the Prime Minister with an invitation to the consideration, indicating the date and time of the interpellation.

Based on the results of the interpellation, the parliament has the right to declare the work of the Cabinet member unsatisfactory, which is adopted in the form of a resolution. If the resolution "fails" during the vote, then the work of the Cabinet member is deemed satisfactory.

If the resolution receives the necessary votes, which declares the work of the Cabinet member unsatisfactory, then the Prime Minister is obliged to submit a proposal to the Verkhovna Rada for the dismissal of this government member.

If the Prime Minister does not do this, the parliament can resolve the issue of dismissing the Cabinet member without the head of government's submission. If the work of the Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs, who are appointed by the President of Ukraine, is deemed unsatisfactory, the Rada recommends that the President submit a proposal for dismissal.

The consideration of the interpellation issue during the plenary session begins with the Speaker's informing, after which the authorized deputy is given the floor for a report, which lasts up to 25 minutes. It must contain:

• a reference to the specific decision, action, or inaction that served as the basis for the interpellation;
• analytical information regarding the subject of consideration.

After the report, the people's deputy who presented it answers oral questions for 20 minutes. The Prime Minister and the government member who is the subject of the interpellation also have the right to ask questions to the rapporteurs.

After the people's deputies answer questions and the committee's conclusion is heard, the Speaker asks the government member whose activity is being considered whether he agrees with the report and the draft resolution of the Verkhovna Rada on recognizing his work as unsatisfactory.

In case of agreement, no discussion on this issue is held, and the Speaker announces a vote on recognizing the government member's work as unsatisfactory.

If there is disagreement, he must deliver a report of up to 25 minutes. After the speech, he answers questions from representatives of parliamentary factions (deputy groups) and other people's deputies for 15 minutes.

The resolution on recognizing the work of a Cabinet member as unsatisfactory is considered adopted if it is supported by a majority of people's deputies from the constitutional composition, i.e., 226 votes.

Recall

The Verkhovna Rada approved the presidential law on NABU and SAP, demonstrating unexpected unanimity. However, behind the scenes, the "Servant of the People" faction is discussing strengthening the role of parliament and expanding control over the executive branch.