- Title: New Ukrainian MPs inspired as parliament gathers for first time
- Date: 29th August 2019
- Summary: ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF PARLIAMENT MEMBERS LISTENING, THEN TAKING SEATS PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ANNOUNCING OPENING OF SESSION, PARLIAMENT MEMBERS APPLAUDING NEW PARLIAMENT MEMBERS SIGNING OATH NEW PARLIAMENT MEMBERS STANDING IN LINE TO SIGN OATH OATH TEXT (SOUNDBITE) (English) VOICE PARTY LAWMAKER AND ANTI-CORRUPTION ACTIVIST, OLEKSANDRA USTINOVA, SAYING: "I am inspired because that is the first time you can actually see so many new faces in the Ukrainian parliament. It gives you inspiration and it gives you hope. I really hope that all this inspiration and hope and trust that people gave us will end up in something better and in really good legislation and changes in the country." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE PARTY LAWMAKER AND POLITICAL SCIENTIST, LISA YASKO, SAYING: "I think I would not hide that I am a little bit scared, of course. Of course I am nervous, because it is a great responsibility and if we fail, there is no excuse. We took that responsibility and we need to work very, very hard and we need to be very wise because we don't really have time. If we lose this time I am not sure that we will have another chance during next years to succeed." PARLIAMENT MEMBER SPEAKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE PARTY LAWMAKER AND IT SPECIALIST, YEGOR CHERNEV, SAYING: "You know, the first half of the day is more festive that it is why we are in high spirits because we can finally start to work. We made some groundwork for the bills in many areas. And the work itself will start at 13:00 (10:00 gmt) when our first session will be held. So I can't wait to start working." PARLIAMENT MEMBER RECEIVING DOCUMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN SOLIDARITY PARTY LAWMAKER, OLEKSIY HONCHARENKO, SAYING: "Today they are very much excited, it is normal. But they need to understand that it is hard work and they need to be independent inside here, because they are representative of the people of Ukraine. Not even the party itself, not even their leaders, who are not in the parliament, but they are. It is a great responsibility and they should remember this. This responsibility is personal responsibility." PARLIAMENT MEMBER GIVING INTERVIEW PEOPLE INSIDE PARLIAMENT HALL
- Embargoed: 12th September 2019 11:35
- Keywords: Ukraine election Zelenskiy new Ukrainian parliament servant of the people lawmakers fresh lawmakers
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE
- City: KIEV, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Lawmaking,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002AU9T3K7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The newly-elected Ukrainian parliament, where the majority of lawmakers belong to Volodymyr Zelenskiy's pro-presidential party, opened its first session on Thursday (August 29).
Servant of the People party won 254 of 450 seats in parliament in July. The ruling majority has the right to appoint the prime minister, the ministers, the prosecutor general, and some other top officials.
Newly elected MPs told Reuters they were excited and a bit nervous about their new job.
The majority of the lawmakers in the parliament are newcomers, a level unseen since the early years after the fall of the Soviet Union. Their average age is just 41 - Zelenskiy's own age, and more than seven years younger than the last incoming group.
(Production: Margaryta Chornokondratenko, Yuriy Muravyov, Dmitry Turlyun) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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