Exclusive When the draft law on mobilisation will be adopted: what MPs say
6 February 2024 16:29
Over the past few days, there has been a lot of talk about the new draft law on mobilisation that the government submitted to the Verkhovna Rada the day before. 
asked MPs whether the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will be able to pass draft law No. 10449 on mobilisation in the first reading this week.
Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, MP, Voice party
In fact, there are more questions than answers, which is traditional for any complex law. The key issue is the procedure that would allow rotation and demobilisation, because it is mentioned and described, but there are no clear terms. As far as I understood, the military wants to shift the decision on this to politicians. In principle, from their point of view, this is quite logical, but in reality, who better than the military can clearly calculate how we should replace people, when and in what timeframe, etc.
There are a number of other debatable issues, such as the extent to which blocking accounts is a safeguard at all, given that anyone can simply abandon bank accounts and use a relative’s account, and it is virtually impossible to track this. Basically, it is possible to cash out… So, there are many things that need to be discussed.
Of course, the draft law is currently being discussed in factions, and our faction has not yet met. For my part, I am inclined to support it in the first reading, because we need to mobilise. I do not foresee that the law will not change between the first and second reading. I mean, I foresee significant changes, but we actually need to move in this direction.
Will it be possible to approve it in the first reading?
There will definitely be discussions. The consideration is likely to be long. I really hope that we will find the votes.
Nina Yuzhanina , MP from the European Solidarity faction
Yesterday we held an online meeting of the faction and realised that it is not worthwhile to comment on the specifics of the rules before the meeting of the relevant committee. In general, everyone understands perfectly well that the law must be passed. I understand that there is no longer any talk of this being a presidential draft law, that’s for sure. They already agree that the government has postponed it. But again, the committee will decide how well each of the articles has been worked out. I’m afraid that there will be another initiative for revised versions, because there is not much different in this draft law.
And even the comments of the Ministry of Defence. I have recently heard that even though the time limit for mobilised people who can stay in the Armed Forces is 36 months, it is not as clear as the MoD says it is. Because after 36 months in the Armed Forces, there is no instrument to determine how a soldier can be dismissed or demobilised. And this is the biggest problem. I agree that people cannot run a marathon if they don’t know how long they have to run – whether it’s 12, 24 or 36 months. And this clarity on 36 months is very necessary for everyone on the frontline.
And it certainly does not mean that everyone will be demobilised if they express such a desire. The absolute commitment and awareness of the people who mobilised voluntarily… they have such a high level of commitment that no one will run away from there, but for the new conscription, this period is mandatory so that people understand how long and where they can be called up.
Therefore, the discussion will begin tomorrow among MPs, and we will move forward.
Ihor Kryvosheiev, MP from the Servant of the People faction
Thedraft law is not currently on the agenda, but this is a normal practice: if the committee manages to process it quickly enough, it can be put on the agenda out of turn. But so far, this draft law has not yet been included in the agenda of future meetings.
As for the comments, I think the new version is better in terms of quality, but I think we have to vote in the first reading. Because we are late with this law, and not even for six months, but for a year. It is absolutely clear that the standard of mobilisation that we used to apply is imbued with Soviet principles, it is not working and has led to corruption in the TCC and inhuman treatment… In fact, this format of decentralised responsibility and increased powers for the TCC should be removed. And the court will decide whether to apply any additional restrictions or not. This is an absolutely normal approach.
My opinion is that we need to vote in the first reading, and then we will finalise it.
You mentioned improvements in the second draft law, what are you talking about?
At least the fact that it is not the TCC that decides on these additional restrictions in services that can be imposed on a person who has not been registered. This is the key point.
Some people say that the courts will be overwhelmed by the number of lawsuits. I do not agree with this, because again, there will be no one-time appeal. at best, 500 thousand can be mobilised in a year if everything is very well organised. But again, this is an unattainable figure, and therefore I do not see such a burden on the courts at the same time, I think that everything will happen gradually and the courts will cope.
Serhiy Yevtushok , MP, Batkivshchyna party
It has just been introduced. The committee has not yet met, as of now. They plan to consider it on Wednesday.
This is the second attempt by the Ministry of Defence to introduce it as a subject of legislative initiative. The first time, when it was introduced by Umerov, the committee sent it back with its comments. I will be very interested to see how much the committee will respond to its comments that it sent the first time.
Therefore, there is no decision of the committee yet, and there is not even a meeting. It’s not even scheduled for today. I’m just telling you the inside story. Maybe tomorrow they will work (the committee – ed.) all day, and I do not rule out that they will work all night.
What should be the key thing in the draft law for you to support it?
First of all, I understand for sure that, given the statements of military officers about the shortage of mobilisation resources, mobilisation is needed. But we need it in a different way than, for example, the previous time it was proposed – let’s catch everyone indiscriminately with the help of the TCC on the highways, discos, checkpoints, drive them into some conditions at the training ground for no clear reason – just to stay in tents, no practical skills, and then send them to “slaughter”. We don’t need such mobilisation – it will not produce any results, except for the fact that we will lose people. I will not press the green button under such mobilisation. This is the destruction of the nation and the youth.
Let’s take the Third Assault Brigade and other different brigades as an example. They are recruited, they have up to six months of pre-training, and then they are still not given a task in the first battle. Gradually, through a transition period. Because even a trained person can lose control of himself for the first time because of the challenges.
Therefore, everything should be done gradually, through a transition period, and then we will do everything without problems.
I am also concerned about criminal liability in this new draft law.
The third is when, for example, a disabled person is in groups 1, 2, 3, and the draft law proposes to revise these groups. So, will disabled people fight now?
A person cannot be forced to fight, they need to be given incentives, including financial ones.
Author: Iryna Shevchenko
