Button pusher

The term "button pusher" emerged in the early 2000s in a journalistic environment for designation MPs who vote for their colleagues.

If unable to attend the legislature personally, a deputy might give his or her personal voting card to a fellow deputy. Alternately, duplicate cards might be issued without the knowledge of their supposed "owner".

If voting for a neighbor, the "button pusher" inserts the card for the e-voting system "Rada" received from the missing deputy of the card, preferably not getting up, openly or secretly (hand covering newspapers, magazines, or other method) pushes the button to vote for or against the measure.

If voting for several deputies, the pusher moves from one seat to the next with multiple voting cards and pushes the buttons the same way. One such button pusher was found to have voted on average for 9.8 missing persons. Often when the absolute majority of 226 deputies was required, the button pushers were responsible for 35-40 votes.[6]

With the use of "button pushing" voting the Verkhovna Rada adopted:

• the changes to the Constitution of Ukraine, which established the date of presidential elections in Ukraine
• the Law of Ukraine "On measures to ensure the legislative reform of the pension system"
• the 2012 bill "On the principles of the State language policy" (Actually voted 172 deputies, not 234, as officially announced)[7]
• a new Criminal Procedural Code of Ukraine (It was adopted by 50 MPs instead 226) in 2012[8]
• 2013 appointment of Ihor Sorkin as the new head of the National Bank of Ukraine.[9]
• in December 2020 Voice claimed that two deputies not present in the Verkhovna Rada building voted for the appointment of Serhiy Shkarlet as Minister of Education and Science (who was appointment with exactly the 226 required votes)[10][11]

On the criminal nature of voting for another in the Ukrainian parliament by the analysis of provisions which regulated the legislative procedure. Personal vote required by the Constitution of Ukraine, Article 84: "Voting at meetings of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine made deputy of Ukraine in person".[12]

The presence and direct participation in meetings of the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is not a matter of free decision MPs, and under paragraph 3 first part of the 24th article of the law ""About the Status of the People's Deputy of Ukraine" - is his duty.[13]

December 6, 2012 the Parliament of Ukraine amended the Regulation (Article 37), which require MPs to register in person to attend meetings of Parliament, to vote and to do it in person. According to the law, before the opening of each session of Parliament shall be registered MPs personally based identification MP and handwritten signatures. In the boardroom deputy recorded through the e-voting system "Rada", so that rules out the registration deputy in his stead another person.[14]

In addition, the European Court of Human Rights in January 2013 decision in the case "Alexander Volkov v. Ukraine," in which the judge found that the vote in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in violation of the established procedure against European standards.[15]

However, today the legislation also provides liability for card use another MP (including duplicate) for registration and voting by electronic system (voting for someone else's card), as well as unauthorized intervention in the electronic voting system of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and issuance of duplicate voting cards without the consent of the MP.

The peak of "button pushing" was reached in the sixth convocation at the initiative and organizational support leadership factions ruling majority - Party of Regions and Communist Party of Ukraine. Tactics were quick voting when the current favorable government decisions taken quickly, without discussion or almost without discussion, often in the evening or at night by pressing of the team of "button pushers" in 35-40 MPs. Party of Regions faction leadership commits MPs to vote for other members.[16] Before the vote, the responsible persons of the faction of the Party of Regions deputies dealt another card.[17] Defending the practice of non personal voting, representatives of the ruling majority called it "delegation of authority".[18] Party of Regions and the Communist Party of Ukraine together against criminal liability for "button pushing".[19]

From the earliest days of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine at the 7th convocation opposition faction in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine - "Batkivshchyna", the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform, VO "Svoboda", made a series of coordinated measures to cease "button pushing" by the faction of the Party of Regions.[20][21][22]

February 5, 2013, deputies from the opposition blocked the rostrum. A representative of the "UDAR" came to the session in the red sweater with the words "Vote personally".[23]

Faction VO "Svoboda" filed a bill on criminalizing voting for others in the legislature. This document provides penalties deputies who vote this way of imprisonment from 5 to 8 years.[24]

MP, member of the "Batkivshchyna" Yuri Odarchenko sued suit against Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine with the requirement to enter personal vote and cancel resolutions passed in violation of the regulations. MP calls implement electronic voting, which makes it impossible to register and vote one deputy instead of another, and to recognize the illegal and cancel the acts of the Verkhovna Rada, which were adopted in the period from December 13, 2012 to January 11, 2013 Lawsuit filed to the Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine, February 5, 2013.[23]

• Verkhovna Rada
• 7th Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada
• Party switching