Ukraine's Rada will not ban settling Naftogaz debt to RosUkrEnergo
KYIV. July 8 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada has refused to support opposition bills banning the government from using budget funds to settle Naftogaz Ukrainy's debt to RosUkrEnergo.
The parliament did not support either a relevant draft resolution or a bill on Thursday. The deputies also refused to send the documents back to the first reading.
Roman Zvarych of the Our Ukraine-People's Self-Defense Union parliamentary group and Serhiy Sobolev of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc had come up with a parliamentary draft resolution proposing the government ban Naftogaz Ukrainy, the national energy monopoly, from using natural gas intended for domestic use as well as its floating capital and other assets for settling any debts to RosUkrEnergo in line with rulings by international judicial bodies. In addition, the draft proposed banning the government from using budget funds and loans from international financial institutions to settle any of Naftogaz' debts.
The opposition also proposed banning the government from taking any steps toward settling Naftogaz Ukrainy's debts to RosUkrEnergo in line with international judicial bodies' rulings without a sanction from the Verkhovna Rada.
Only 185 deputies voted for the bill banning the Cabinet from using budget funds to settle Naftogaz Ukrainy's debt to RosUkrEnergo, while the minimum number of votes necessary for such a decision is 226.