EPDE Policy Alert - Electoral Reform in Ukraine #2 The European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) monitors the progress of electoral reform in UkraiŶe. The secoŶd issue of the EPDE Policy Alert - Electoral Reforŵ iŶ UkraiŶe aŶalyzes the outcomes of the rally for reform in Kyiv and the rejection of three draft laws on electoral legislation in the Verkhovna Rada. IŶ OĐtoďer ϮϬϭ7, ǀarious oppositioŶ forĐes aŶd Điǀil soĐiety aĐtiǀists rallied iŶ froŶt of UkraiŶe’s Parliament in Kyiv for one of the largest anti-government demonstrations since the Euromaidan ϮϬϭ4. With the rally for Big Political Reform, protestors Đalled for the aďolitioŶ of parliaŵeŶtary immunity, the creation of an anticorruption court, and the reforŵ of UkraiŶe’s eleĐtoral legislatioŶ. “uďstaŶtial suĐĐess, froŵ the perspeĐtiǀe of the rally’s orgaŶiziŶg Đoŵŵittee, ǁas reaĐhed oŶly ǁith regard to the issue of parliamentary immunity. In this matter, the Parliament decided to submit to the Constitutional Court of Ukraine draft laws providing amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine that would abolish immunity for members of the Ukrainian Parliament. In the case that the Constitutional Court of Ukraine approves the suggested draft amendments, the amendments are then subject to further vote by the constitutional majority of members of the Parliament in order to be adopted. With regard to the electoral reform, three draft laws on the parliamentary elections, registered in the Parliament in December 2014, have finally been added to the agenda of the Parliament for the first readiŶg oŶ Thursday, OĐtoďer ϭ9, ϮϬϭ7. Hoǁeǀer, all three iŶitiatiǀes oŶ the reforŵ of UkraiŶe’s electoral legal framework failed to receive necessary support in the Parliament. In addition, the Parliament did not vote for further revision of these draft laws, either by the relevant Parliamentary Committee or by the authors of the draft laws. Two of the three draft laws (i.e. draft law No. 1068, initiated by Opposition Bloc faction deputy Yuriy Miroshnychenko, and draft law No. 1068-1, initiated by Batkivschyna party leader Yulia Tymoshenko and other MPs of this faction), foreseeing a proportional electoral system in a nationwide constituency with closed party lists, received less than 100 votes. Draft law No. 1068-2 (initiated by Viktor Chumak and several other members of the Parliament), which advocates for a proportional electoral system with open regional lists, received more support in the Ukrainian Parliament (169 votes). Nevertheless, the draft law lacked about 60 votes to be further considered by the Parliament. Members of the ruling coalition (Blok Petro Poroshenko and People’s FroŶt) immediately blamed members of the Parliament who were elected by majority voting in single-member constituencies for failing to support the draft law No. 1068-2. However, this draft law was supported only by a minority of MPs from the ruling coalition factions: 57 out of 138 MPs from Blok Petro Poroshenko faction, and 38 out of 81 from People’s FroŶt faction. After the defeat of the three draft laǁs, the orgaŶiziŶg Đoŵŵittee of the Big PolitiĐal Reforŵ rally underlined that public protest, at least, succeeded in exerting pressure on the authorities to finally returŶ eleĐtioŶ legislatioŶ reforŵ to the ParliaŵeŶt’s agenda. The organizers also expressed the demand that the Parliament should continue work on electoral reform without further delay. According to the Speaker of the Parliament, Andriy Parubiy, the Parliament will continue considering electoral legislative initiatives (draft electoral codes) during the next plenary week, starting November 7, 2017. These two draft electoral codes (No. 3112 and No. 3112-1) were registered in the Parliament in the fall of 2015. The draft electoral code No. 3112, initiated by Vidrodzhennia group