According to Reuters, the draft law in Ukraine which would tighten mobilization rules has been sent back to the government for further work, as announced by the parliamentary speaker on Thursday. The purpose of the bill is to enable the country to call up more people to the army as the conflict with Russia approaches the two-year mark. The draft includes provisions for electronic call-ups and strict sanctions for those who do not comply with the mobilization law.
After a meeting between parliamentary leadership and military commanders, the speaker, Ruslan Stefanchuk, stated that the bill will be reworked and all developed recommendations and proposals will be sent to the government.
Lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak also stated that there will be no progress in parliament on this draft in the near future. Despite the fact that thousands of Ukrainians rushed to enlist after Russia’s invasion, many men are now trying to avoid fighting as the conflict approaches its second anniversary.
The draft law, which was submitted by the government after consultations with the military, has drawn criticism from the public and politicians. Lawmakers and analysts have pointed out that some of its provisions violate the constitution and pose corruption risks.
The parliamentary committee for security and defense has been reviewing the draft for days before the expected first reading, with its decision being postponed several times. The debate on the legislation has also revealed a division in parliament, with some opposition MPs accusing the parliamentary leadership of violating parliamentary procedures and preventing coordinated work.
Member of the Holos party, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, criticized the organization of the draft law process, calling it the worst he has seen in 10 years. The draft law will need to be passed in several readings and then signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Last month, Zelenskiy stated that the military had proposed mobilizing 450,000-500,000 more people, taking into account military plans and projections of possible losses. Military analysts have estimated that the half-million figure would be for the whole year. The debate over the draft law continues amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia.
(Reporting by Olena Harmash and Yuliia Dysa, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
