- Title: Ukraine Zelenskiy's lawmakers march to parliament on first day
- Date: 29th August 2019
- Summary: LAWMAKERS LAYING FLOWERS ON MEMORIAL AND HOLDING MOMENT OF SILENCE MEMORIAL PLAQUE AND UKRAINIAN FLAGS LAWMAKER, OLEKSANDR ALEKSIYCHUK, KNEELING IN FRONT OF MEMORIAL, LAYING FLOWER AND WALKING AWAY VARIOUS OF LAWMAKERS LAYING FLOWERS ON MEMORIAL FLOWERS ON MEMORIAL (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE PARTY LAWMAKER, OLEKSANDR ALEKSIYCHUK, SAYING: "We came here today to pay tribute to those people thanks to whom we can live peacefully in the capital, thanks to them we are moving forward as they defended Ukraine in the past. When speaking about the first day of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) and our first day as lawmakers, I certainly feel anxious in a way. All of us - the soon to be members of parliament (before they were sworn in during the first parliamentary session) and the Servant of the People party - are people who have become lawmakers for the first time, (are people) who will enter the Verkhovna Rada, legislative body, country's highest legislative body for the first time." VARIOUS OF LAWMAKERS WALKING LAWMAKERS WALKING TOWARDS PARLIAMENT BUILDING UKRAINIAN FLAG WAVING ON TOP OF PARLIAMENT BUILDING LAWMAKERS CROSSING STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE PARTY LAWMAKER, VLADYSLAV KRYKLIY, SAYING: "I started my morning today without doing any sport, almost without any breakfast. I drank kefir on the way and ran to lay flowers to the memorial. I don't know if this will be our regular schedule in the parliament chamber, but I have no doubts that we will work a lot within the first period. We are in good shape and have a combative mood as we must demonstrate unity." (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE PARTY LAWMAKER, HALYNA YANCHENKO, SAYING: "In general, I am in work mode, we are determined to work. It is very likely that our working day will be a long one today. And I think it is right and just with respect to Ukrainian people and to tax payers who maintain this great state body which is called Verkhovna Rada." PARLIAMENT EXTERIOR / LAWMAKERS AND MEDIA OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT VARIOUS OF LAWMAKERS LINING UP TO ENTER PARLIAMENT PARLIAMENT EXTERIOR
- Embargoed: 12th September 2019 15:49
- Keywords: Ukraine parliament Servant of the People president Volodymyr Zelenskiy political novice fresh lawmakers
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE
- City: KIEV, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Lawmaking,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA003AU9SUUX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Lawmakers of the Servant of the People party, the biggest bloc in Ukraine's new parliament created President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, walked to parliament together before the start of their first workday on Thursday (August 29).
The newly appointed members of parliament, who were sworn in on Thursday, paid tribute to protesters who died during the 2013-2014 uprising and, earlier in the morning, to servicemen killed in the conflict in the country's east.
Zelenskiy, a first time politician, recruited fellow political novices to run as candidates for his Servant of the People party, which won an outright majority in the 450-seat parliament in July.
Party members said they were prepared for a long day and were ready to work hard for the Ukrainian people.
A former comedian who played a fictional president in a popular TV series, Zelenskiy swept to power promising to clean up Ukrainian politics and root out entrenched corruption.
He did not allow former lawmakers to run on his party's ticket.
High on the agenda of the next parliament will be fulfilling a major Zelenskiy election promise: that lawmakers should vote to remove their own immunity from prosecution.
(Production: Serhiy Takhmazov, Margaryta Chornokondratenko, Dmitry Turlyun) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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