Purgin urges Poroshenko to bring Donetsk and Lugansk representatives into Constitutional Committee

Today, on April 6, Andrey Purgin, head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) parliament, urged President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko to include representatives of the DPR and LPR (Lugansk People’s Republic) into the Constitutional Committee.

 “We have repeatedly offered cooperation to the Kiev authorities, but they have not responded to our proposals. They do not want to talk to us. Presently, Ukraine is protracting the negotiations with representatives of the republics. I am urging President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko to immediately bring representatives of the republics into the Constitutional Committee,” Purgin said in a statement.

He recalled that the constitutional reform in Ukraine is recommended by the “Set of measures for the implementation of the Minsk Agreements” adopted on Feb 12. “The given point calls for adopting a permanent law on a special status of the republics. All this must be discussed and agreed with representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk,” he said.  Purgin said “an inter-department committee has already been set up in DPR and LPR to implement the set of measures, particularly, the constitutional reform in Ukraine.” He said that in DPR they are going to synchronize their legislation with that of the proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic.

To recall, on March 3, President of Ukraine decreed setting up a Constitutional Committee. Poroshenko said he anticipates that a bill on decentralization of power will be drafted operatively. The first meeting of the committee was held in Kiev today, the next meeting is set for April 15. The committee comprises 72 people, of which 13 are experts from international organizations. The committee comprises also representatives of parliamentary factions, scientists and experts, as well as the former presidents of Ukraine.

Last week, DPR and LPR offered Kiev to set up a working group that would work in cooperation with the Constitutional Committee of Ukraine toward development of the Constitution Reform.