BYUT’s intentions to draft its own constitution seem to have waned as BYUT saw that it cannot ensure the support of 300 lawmakers to approve it. “PoR has its own vision of Ukraine’s transition to a parliamentary republic which is different from that of BYUT,” the minister remarked.

According to the justice minister, the opponents of Yushchenko’s vision of the constitutional order are at a loss. “First, the president said he has no plans to approve the new constitution in a referendum. Second, no one can claim now that by insisting on a new constitution the incumbent wants to get more muscle,” Mykola Onyshchuk said.

The minister said lawmakers have received the new presidential draft.

In line with it, judges will not be appointed by Verkhovna Rada and no political force will be able to influence the selection of judges. “Under the draft, the presidential power will act as a counterweight to the political party that wins the election. The winning party will form the government and will be fully responsible for its work. As a result, the cabinet will get more independence from the president [at present, foreign affairs and law-enforcement ministers are named by the president].

The draft also proposes the second chamber in the legislature, the Senate. The Senate will appoint, following the nomination by the president, such key officials like heads of regulatory commissions, communications and transport minister, energy minister, Central bank governor, prosecutor general and head of the central election commission, the justice minister said.