Bill reducing number of Ukrainian MPs to 300 declared constitutional - source

Ukraine's Constitutional Court has declared constitutional bill No. 1017, which provides for a reduction in the number of MPs from 450 to 300 and introduces a proportional electoral system.

A respective decision was made at a meeting of the Grand Chamber of the Constitutional Court on Monday, December 16, a well-informed source in court told Ukrinform.

The judge-rapporteur on this case was Chairman of the Constitutional Court Oleksandr Tupytsky.

The Verkhovna Rada earlier submitted bill No. 1017 "On the Introduction of Amendments to Articles 76 and 77 of the Constitution of Ukraine (Concerning a Reduction in the Constitutional Composition of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Consolidation of a Proportional Electoral System)" to the Constitutional Court to get an opinion.

The bill proposes reducing the constitutional composition of people's deputies of Ukraine to 300 persons from the current 450, as well as excluding from the text of Article 76 of the Constitution of Ukraine the principles of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot, as it duplicates Article 71.

It is also envisaged to introduce an electoral qualification such as command of the state language, as well as to change an electoral system by securing a proportional electoral system in parliamentary elections.

The authors of the bill believe that its adoption will help optimize the work of the parliament and ensure the effective performance of its functions.

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