Ukraine possibly to chop one-third of parliament
(MENAFN) Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk has suggested that the number of seats in the Verkhovna Rada be reduced from 450 to 300, citing the country’s shrinking population as the main reason behind the proposal. The Ukrainian parliament, which has been overdue for elections for a year due to martial law, has struggled with a shortage of lawmakers. Stefanchuk argued that the current size of the parliament no longer reflects the needs of the population, which has significantly declined since Ukraine's independence.
In an interview with Ukrinform, Stefanchuk pointed out that Ukrainian society has expressed a demand for fewer deputies. He explained that with a population of 52 million at the time of independence, the parliament needed to be large. However, with the population now dwindling to approximately 31.1 million in areas controlled by Kiev, a reduction in the number of lawmakers should be considered. The current parliament is short of more than 70 MPs and often struggles to maintain a quorum for passing laws. The vacant seats are mostly from constituencies in Crimea and Donbas, regions where elections were not held due to a lack of control by Kiev.
The proposal comes as Ukraine continues to face challenges with its population, including labor shortages and a growing number of citizens who have fled since the 2022 conflict escalation. Many of those who left are unlikely to return, prompting discussions about whether to recruit non-citizens to fill labor gaps. Despite these concerns, President Zelensky's agenda and parliamentary support appear uncertain, especially after a failed resolution earlier this year expressing support for his leadership during a visit by senior EU officials.
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