UKRAINE’S LAWMAKERS AGREED TO DEBATE CHANGES TO CONSTITUTION

• The pro-government and opposition parties in Ukraine’s parliament have agreed to consider changes to the constitution in order to resolve an acute political crisis. 
• The parties have prepared a bill on constitutional amendments. 
• The draft, calls for return to 2004 constitution which moved key powers to appoint a government from president to parliament.
• Ukraine adopted constitution on 28 June 1996 and become semi presidential republic. 
• However, in 2004 deputies introduced changes to the constitution which tipped the balance of power in favour of parliamentary system. 
• From 2004 to 2010 the legitimacy of 2004 constitutional amendment has official sanction both with constitutional court and most of major political parties. 
• Despite this the constitutional court rules that the amendments were null and void forcing a return to terms of 1996 constitution and again making Ukraine’s political system more in presidential in character. 
• The ruling on the 2004 constitutional amendments has become a major political discourse.