It is proposed to allow booked MPs and officials to travel abroad without hindrance. The relevant draft law has appeared on the website of the Verkhovna Rada. It was initiated by MP and head of the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko and 17 other people, including MP Mariana Bezuhla, who recently left the Servant of the People party.
Will there be enough votes among the parliamentarians and who else will be offered to open the borders under the bill?
In an exclusive commentary for 
“I am not its (Law 11460 – ed.) first author. I signed it because it gives the military the right to demobilisation. In addition, it expands the right to cross the border, which I also support, to those who have a deferral, are booked, or are not subject to mobilisation,” Oleksiy Honcharenko
We would like to add that by draft law No. 11460, MPs propose to allow MPs, local council members, judges and prosecutors to travel abroad. Also, men who are reserved from critical enterprises. Another part of the draft law, which concerns the amendment of Article 26, proposes dismissal from the army after 36 months if 18 months of participation in hostilities are completed.
The draft law is to be considered by the relevant committees of the Verkhovna Rada and then put to a vote.
Servant of the People’s reaction to Poroshenko’s initiative
Not everyone in the Servant of the People party is yet ready to answer whether they will support the initiative to allow MPs and officials to travel abroad without hindrance.
In particular, in a commentary to Kommersant, Serhiy Koleboshyn, the Servant of the People, said that he was not familiar with this initiative at all. Yuriy Kamelchuk and Oleksandr Kachura said that they were in the process of getting acquainted.
Oleksiy Movchan of the Servant of the People party considers the initiative normal, although he does not fully share it. He says that only one MP is interested in this draft law, and he names him in a commentary
“The initiative is fine. The only thing that is bad politically for the Servants of the People is that Poroshenko started this initiative. It’s like he’s doing it for himself. Because there are no questions to MPs who travel abroad on business trips. I travel regularly, as do many of my colleagues. But Poroshenko has a problem with the fact that he travels and discredits the Ukrainian government. This is not what is needed during the war. I think there may be an alternative registered draft law,” Oleksiy Movchan
Despite the fact that the initiator is a political opponent, and the time for submitting alternative drafts is still running, if this draft law is put to a vote, Servant of the People Georgiy Mazurashu is ready to vote “FOR“, he said exclusively for
“It seems quite logical that those who are not subject to mobilisation should be able to travel abroad during martial law,” – Georgiy Mazurashu
MP Heorhiy Mazurashu is also convinced that it would be best for the defence and our country as a whole if we continued to follow the current rules on the procedure for leaving and entering Ukraine, which specify in what cases and to whom it is forbidden to leave. This is exactly what Mazurash has repeatedly proposed through legislative initiatives.
“For some reason, we have decided to treat citizens ‘like slaves’ or ‘like serfs’, and this has only negative consequences… I think all sane people understand that a ban on travel will not strengthen the army, but rather the opposite.”
Mazurashu also said that Poroshenko’s legislative initiative was not discussed at the meeting of the “Servant of the People” faction.
The registered draft law is a division of society
Political analyst and former MP Ivan Stupak criticised the initiative. He says this draft law can completely divide society.
“As for me, it’s a complete mess. This is just cutting society with big scissors of injustice. First, two societies are created: the military fighting at the front, and civilians providing the military with everything from electronic warfare devices to cars. And there are people who can afford it, who are elected MPs and can safely leave the territory of Ukraine.” – Ivan Stupak
The political scientist also suggests that the circle of people who can travel abroad freely may expand over time. And then the division will be even more painful. One society will live its best life, plan vacations and business trips abroad, while the other will be completely stuck in the military theme and the war.
Ivan Stupak concludes that we should leave the situation as it is now. After all, MPs already have the opportunity to go on business trips abroad. And to legislate during the war is only to increase injustice, which is 100% used by the Russians, the political scientist adds.
Authors – Alyona Kaplina, Anastasia Fedor