Over 1,000 Amendments Filed to Oligarch Bill, Denisova Calls It 'Unconstitutional', and Akhmetov's Channel Pulls Show on It

The show on deoligarchization was pulled allegedly due to the 'disappearance of the subject of consideration' amid Denisova's statement.

Over 1,000 amendments were submitted to bill No. 5599 'On the Status of an Oligarch' before its second reading; Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Lyudmila Denisova called the bill 'not consistent with constitutional norms', and the Ukraine 24 channel closed the program 'Big Deoligarchization' over this statement.

We have collected the latest news on the bill aimed at fighting oligarchy in Ukraine.

Amendments to the bill

As Holos faction MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported, 1,257 amendments were submitted before the second reading of the bill 'On the Status of an Oligarch'. Deputies propose changing the body that will determine oligarchs and banning them from holding leadership positions in state authorities and local self-government bodies.

Yaroslav Zheleznyak
MP from Holos

There are almost no blatantly spam amendments; there are very substantive ones. Running 10-12 pages of text... In particular, deputies propose changing the body that will make decisions on determining an individual as an oligarch and significantly detailing this procedure.

It is proposed to change the body that will decide on determining an individual as an oligarch and to significantly detail this procedure. Deputies have proposed the following options:

• By the Cabinet of Ministers upon request from the NSDC, members of the Cabinet or the President of Ukraine;
• HACC upon statement from the Cabinet, NSDC, NBU, SBU or AMCU;
  
• NACP upon request from AMCU or another state body;
  
• a specially created Commission under the NACP;
  
• a commission of seven people, the majority of whom are representatives of international organizations.
  

A large number of amendments concern designating the NACP as the main body for recognizing someone as an oligarch and, as a consequence, granting the NACP the right to investigate and examine all circumstances. To this end, it is proposed to expand the NACP's powers and task it with maintaining the 'Register of Oligarchs'.

Oligarchs would also be required to report to the NACP on financing of media outlets, and any business concentration involving an oligarch must necessarily take place with permission from the AMCU.

The bill contains many amendments clarifying or adding criteria by which someone may be defined as an oligarch: asset size, influence on politicians, regular meetings at the Office of the President, the deputy reported.

Additional bans for oligarchs are also being introduced. For example, prohibiting them from holding leadership positions in state authorities and local self-government bodies.

Zheleznyak also notes that the bill includes amendments that are 'quite dangerous from the point of view of censorship': it is proposed to introduce requirements for information provision standards for media outlets in relation to which there are signs of oligarch influence.

They want to impose restrictions on information concerning internal Ukrainian political, economic, religious or social issues. Such information (according to deputies) must meet the requirements of standards of balance of opinions and completeness of presented facts.

Informational materials may not contain promotion or propaganda of the aggressor state's bodies and their individual actions, and may not justify or recognize as lawful the occupation of Ukrainian territory.

Denisova's comment and the closure of the program on Ukraine 24

Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Lyudmila Denisova on September 3 called the bill 'not consistent with constitutional norms'. In connection with this, Rinat Akhmetov's channel Ukraine 24 closed the program 'Big Deoligarchization'. 

Dmytro Belyansky 
program host

We are forced to state that if bill 5599 is unconstitutional, then deoligarchization in Ukraine appears completed, and if so, the program 'Big Deoligarchization' loses its very subject of consideration.

The host said that the Rada's rules of procedure stipulate that if a bill that contradicts the provisions of the Constitution comes before parliament, it is prohibited from being included in the session agenda and considered at plenary sittings.

However, given that the Rada has already adopted this bill in first reading, Ombudsman Denisova proposes sending the document for consideration to the Venice Commission.