A draft bill on the status of Crimean Tatar people registered in the Parliament

A draft bill № 6315 has been registered today in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the bill should determine the status of the Crimean Tatar people.

As explained by Mustafa Dzhemiliev, one of the initiators of the bill and the People’s Deputy of Ukraine, in the commentary to Krym.Realiyi. This initiative will contribute to the preservation of national identity of the Crimean Tatar people.

“This refers to reformatting the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in the national-territorial autonomy. It is directly indicated – Autonomous Republic in the form of manifestation of the indigenous people of Crimea, as well as their right to self-determination as a part of the Ukrainian State. The evidence that the Crimean Tatars are indigenous people is present and measures for the preservation of the national identity of the Crimean Tatar people are mentioned”, – explained Dzhemiliev.

The People’s Deputy added that he expects that the bill will be supported, but “it is possible that amendments will be made”.

More than 20 people’s deputies of Ukraine are the initiators of the draft bill № 6315, including Refat Chubarov, Georgiy Logvinskiy, Dmitriy Belotserkovets and others.

“We are talking about determining the status of the Crimean Tatar people through the legal norms that are regulating the issue of the representation of the Crimean Tatar people in the Government. This law defines the status of the actual representative bodies of the Crimean Tatar people as an indigenous people – this refers to Kurultai and the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, local Mejlis. It is understandable, when the question is about the representative bodies of the Crimean Tatar people in the State bodies the principles of electoral system to the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea, to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and to the local authorities are defined as well. And the definition of the status of the Crimean Tatar people is highlighted in this draft bill”, – said Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis and People’s Deputy, in the commentary to the Center for Investigative Journalism.

He added that after the adoption of this law it will be necessary to make amends to the Constitution of Ukraine regarding the status of the Crimean autonomy. He recalled that the creation of a constitutional commission and, in particular, a working group, which should develop changes to the section of the Fundamental Law related to the ARC, is still delayed.

As a reminder, on 20 March 2014, the Verkhovna Rada recognized the Crimean Tatar people as the indigenous people of Crimea. 283 deputies supported this decision.

Ukraine made a guarantee to preserve and help with the development of ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of the Crimean Tatar people as an indigenous people and all national minorities of Ukraine.

On September 22, the Verkhovna Rada recommended the President to change the status of Crimea in the Constitution of Ukraine from territorial to the Crimean Tatar national autonomy.