The Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky wrote a law on the impeachment procedure for the Head of state, according to the official website of Verkhovna Rada.
Zelensky previously stated that one of the first bills that he would introduce as a Head of state would be a law on the impeachment procedure. The parliament adopted the document on September 10. According to the opposition, the vote was held in violation, since the deputies could not submit their amendments to the document. This gives reason to challenge this document in the Constitutional Court.
On the website of Rada, it is noted that the document “was returned to parliament with the signature of the president” on Monday.
“The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada can remove the president of Ukraine from office by impeachment only if he commits treason or another crime”, – the text of the law says.
The law comes into force on the day after publication in the official press.
The document notes that the basis for initiating impeachment is a written submission, which was signed by most deputies from the constitutional composition of Rada, that is, 226 parliamentarians. Their signatures are not revoked. Such a submission must contain grounds for creating a temporary investigative commission.
The parliament must decide on the initiation of impeachment and its inclusion in the agenda of Rada by vote. After that, the parliament creates a temporary commission of inquiry, which includes deputies on a proportional basis, a special prosecutor and special investigators.
The temporary investigation commission conducts an investigation into treason or other crimes, checks the validity of evidence and prepares proposals for a draft resolution of Rada on charges against the president of Ukraine.
The Head of state, according to the document, has the right to no more than five defenders. The President should be invited to a meeting to consider the conclusions made by the commission. In addition, the Council may hear witnesses and experts.
It is noted that the decision to accuse the President is taken by secret ballot by ballots for each item of charges separately. In case of adoption of the decision, Rada appeals to the Constitutional Court regarding the constitutionality of the procedure and the Supreme Court to obtain conclusions on the charges.
“If the conclusions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine and the Supreme Court are received, respectively, on the observance of the constitutional procedure for the investigation and consideration of the case of impeachment and that the acts of which the President of Ukraine are charged contain signs of treason or other crime, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine decides on the removal of the President of Ukraine from office with the help of impeachment, by secret voting by means of casting of ballots”, – the law says.
The resolution is considered adopted if it receives at least three-fourths of the votes of the constitutional composition of Rada.
If Rada fails to pass a resolution on impeachment, the speaker of the parliament apologizes to the President on behalf of the entire legislative body.