Deputies who demand abolition of e-declaration did not attend the court session

The Constitutional Court postponed the consideration of the case on the conformity of e-declaration to the Constitution due to non-appearance of the initiators of the respective filing. Activists believe that delaying the review benefits the authorities.

The Constitutional Court postponed the consideration of the case on the conformity of e-declaration to the Constitution due to non-appearance of the initiators of the respective filing. Activists believe that delaying the review benefits the authorities, – this was reported by the press center of the coalition “Declarations under control.”

22 December at 10.00 the CCA scheduled the consideration of the case upon the filing. Before the start of the meeting, activists conducted a protest action demanding to recognize all provisions of the Law as constitutional and not to block the work of anti-corruption bodies.

“While this proceedings is in the Constitutional Court, cases on e-declarations may be blocked in courts,” said Oleksandra Drik, Coordinator of the Coalition “Declarations under control,” Chair of the Civic Lustration Committee.

It was noted that such delaying of terms is the most advantageous position for the authorities, because the declarations will remain in limbo, but international experts will have no grounds to raise objections.

Activists emphasized that former Yanukovych-era associates filed the Constitutional Court petition, and the case will be reviewed by former Yanukovych associates who are currently judges of the Constitutional Court. “Most deputies who signed the petition are Yanukovych’s entourage. It was these people who helped build his vertical of power,” said Oleksandr Lyemenov.

Andriy Marusov said on this: “If you look at the composition of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, you will see that about a third of the judges are those same judges, thanks to whom in the year 2010 Viktor Yanukovych was able to seize power.” Vitali Shabunin reminded of the recently published Council of Europe assessment: “If the Constitutional Court finds the challenged provisions unconstitutional in opposition to the Council of Europe’s conclusion, it will not be the Court’s decision, it will be a decision of the Administration and the President.”

It should be recalled that deputies demand to declare unconstitutional the provisions of the law regarding the obligation to declare assets of family members, unfinished construction projects, valuable movable property, cash funds, financial obligations, information on significant changes in wealth, and information on declaration objects belonging to third parties but used by the declarant or members of his family, the powers of the NAPC to have direct access to information databases of public authorities, determine the accuracy of the valuation of declared assets during a full verification of declarations, monitor lifestyle, including based on information received from individuals and legal entities, from the media and other open sources of information.

It should be noted that the Constitutional Court has already violated the terms for considering the constitutional petition, which in this case should not exceed one month. And despite the constitutional petition having been received by the Constitutional Court last year, a decision on this case has not been made.

“Declarations under control” is a coalition of civil society organizations that define their priority as combating corruption through the verification of electronic declarations. The memorandum on the creation of the coalition 1 2016 year was signed by six civil society organizations: Kantselska sotnya (the “Declarations” project), Transparency International Ukraine, the Center for Political Studies and Analysis “Eidos,” the Civic Lustration Committee, the Center for Democracy and the Rule of Law (CEDEM), and the Center for Local Self-Government.