Rada took the first step towards Interior Ministry reform

The MPs have made a number of observations on the bill during its discussion.

Samopomich faction refused to vote for the bill reasoning it has nothing to do with the reform of the Interior Ministry and is aimed at usurpation of power by the law enforcement agencies. Besides, the document does not comply with the Article 16 of the Ukrainian Constitution, which envisages that all the powers are determined by the prime minister and the government while Rada has no right to determine these powers by the law, the faction says.

However, Head of Petro Poroshenko Bloc parliamentary faction Yurii Lutsenko expressed support for this draft noting that it will "finally turn the NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs, known for its political repression during the era of Joseph Stalin — Ed.), which the law enforcement agency have actually been previously, into a normal civilized one."

Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Hroisman noted that the draft law is the first step to reform the Interior Ministry. A number of amendments will be made in the document during its preparation for the second reading.