On October 18, at a session of the Volyn Regional Council, deputies of the Volyn Regional Council, members of the "Our Ukraine" faction, announced their refusal of deputy "immunity." They supported the initiative of the head of the "Our Ukraine" faction, the head of the Volyn Regional Organization of the political party "People's Union Our Ukraine," Volodymyr Karpuk, and issued a statement addressed to the President of Ukraine V. Yushchenko, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine V. Lytvyn, and the Chairman of the Volyn Regional Council V. Dmytruk. We present the full text of the statement: \n \nWe, the deputies of the Volyn Regional Council, members of the "Our Ukraine" faction, declare our refusal of the so-called "immunity" granted by the amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the Status of Deputies of Local Councils" (adopted on September 8 of this year). We consider this norm to be a bribe for deputies of local councils and the leadership of political parties at all levels. \n \nThe deputies of our faction did not need deputy immunity when we were in opposition, and we do not need it now either. We have never hidden from responsibility for our actions, and we have nothing to hide from our voters and law enforcement agencies. \n \nWe are against the possibility that deputies who were involved in organizing and carrying out falsifications in the past presidential elections and separatist actions could henceforth hide behind deputy immunity from just punishment. \n \nWe see the consequence of this law's effect as a deepening of inequality between citizens, the criminalization of local self-government bodies, and the desecration of the Constitution and laws of Ukraine. \n \nThe Council of the political party "People's Union Our Ukraine" and our faction advocate the complete elimination of the deputy immunity of people's deputies of Ukraine, guaranteed by Article 80 of the Constitution of Ukraine, and to this end will initiate corresponding amendments to the Fundamental Law. \n\nThe "Our Ukraine" faction in the Volyn Regional Council fully supports the President's decision to refer the Law of Ukraine "On the Status of Deputies of Local Councils" to the Constitutional Court, which will undoubtedly put an end to all speculation surrounding this issue. We call on the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada to return to consideration of this law without waiting for the Constitutional Court's decision on its compliance with the Constitution. We ask the deputies of the regional council to support our initiative. \n\nThe uncompromising decision of the deputy group of "Our Ukraine" members in the regional council will likely also be supported by the "Our Ukraine" deputy factions in district and settlement councils of the region. Deputies of local councils do not approve of the prospect of "immunity," as it will undermine voters' trust and could become a temptation of "deputyship" for people who have problems with the law. Voters are the highest court for the deputies — "Our Ukraine" members, who do not want to fence themselves off from the people with deputy "immunity." \n