Ukraine's parliament adopts bill on 'piano voting' at first reading

A total of 287 MPs backed the document at a parliament meeting on Tuesday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The draft law proposes establishing criminal responsibility for a people's deputy of Ukraine voting in any way at a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine instead of another people's deputy (non-personal voting). Such an act will be punishable by a fine of 3,000 to 5,000 tax-free minimum incomes," the explanatory note to the bill reads.

It notes that in accordance with Article 216 of the Criminal Procedure Code, pretrial investigations into such criminal offenses will be carried out by investigators of the bodies of the State Bureau of Investigation.

The author of the draft law is the first deputy speaker of the Verkhovna Rada and the president's representative in parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk.

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