250 people's deputies voted in favor.
The factions of the Party of Regions, SDPU(o), CPU, BYuT, and the Lytvyn People's Party voted in favor.
The Verkhovna Rada also supported the resolution on creating an investigative commission to check the financial and economic activity of "Naftogaz Ukrainy," the company's personnel policy, and the conditions of Ukraine's gas supply in 2006.
The decision was adopted with 218 votes.
The deputies also unanimously adopted as a basis the resolution on a moratorium on raising gas prices for the population – with 386 votes.
Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn stated that the parliament did not receive sufficient information from the Cabinet of Ministers about the essence of the content and prospects awaiting Ukraine in connection with the signing of the agreement on the supply of Russian gas. Lytvyn stated this on Tuesday after the Cabinet's report on the situation on the gas market, reports a «proUA» correspondent.
Lytvyn said that until now Ukraine has not received guarantees that gas at the price of 95 dollars per thousand cubic meters will be supplied throughout all 5 years. "There is only voluminous political talk," he said. The speaker emphasized that the Rada, like the Cabinet, is being "kept on half-information." "I do not understand the secrecy of the classification for the Cabinet of Ministers and the parliament," he said.
Lytvyn emphasized that the signed agreement is the worst decision that could have been made in the situation that arose. Among other things, the speaker justified this by saying that Ukraine should have taken advantage of Russia's proposal in the 1st quarter of 2006 to receive Russian gas at the price of 50 dollars, and after that switch to the market price. "Otherwise, there is a feeling that we were led to such a decision as to a no-alternative one," the speaker noted.
He also said that the agreement was signed at night and "does not lend itself to legal analysis."
The speaker also criticized the fact that all responsibility for the increase in the price of Russian gas was shifted onto the shoulders of the Ukrainian population. He emphasized that the average price of gas for industrial enterprises was not determined, while the Cabinet announced an increase in the price of gas for the Ukrainian population. "In this connection, there is a feeling that everything is fine," he said.
Lytvyn also reported that during today's discussion of the situation on the gas market, all parties spoke "from political positions." Lytvyn once again criticized the fact that Fuel and Energy Minister Ivan Plachkov, Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk, and the head of NAK "Naftogaz Ukrainy" Oleksiy Ivchenko ignored the parliament session. In this connection, according to him, the Rada should "adopt a principled decision." "I believe that there is no more important issue than this problem," the speaker said.
Lytvyn expressed surprise as to why the agreements on the price of Russian gas transit and the agreement on the joint supply of Russian gas to Ukraine were separated from each other.
In addition, according to Lytvyn, the people's deputies still did not receive an answer to the question of what amount of income from gas transit there was in 2004-2005 and what is being formed in 2006. "I believe that there was simply idle talk," Lytvyn summarized.