Parliamentary committee meetings once again open to press
Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk presiding over a floor session at the Ukrainian parliament (Photo: UNIAN)
Committee meetings of the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) will be once again open to the public and journalists, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a corresponding bill into law on Dec. 17.
Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, chair of Rada’s Freedom of Speech Committee, said the measure effectively restores the transparency standards that were in place before COVID-19 restrictions and Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Under the law:
- Journalists and members of the public may attend committee meetings in person;
- Meetings must be livestreamed online, and video recordings must be made publicly available within 24 hours after adjournment;
- The agenda for each meeting must be published at least 24 hours before it begins.
Yurchyshyn added that these requirements will also apply to local government bodies.
In September, Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk signed a resolution to resume live broadcasts of full parliamentary sessions. On Sept. 16, Rada held its first live-streamed session since martial law was instituted in February 2022.
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