Parliament passes at first reading instruction on date of Kyiv mayoral election

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has passed at first reading a draft instruction to schedule the elections of Kyiv mayor and deputies of Kyiv City Council for June 2, 2013.

A total of 293 of the 365 MPs registered in the sitting hall supported this decision (the minimum of 226 votes is required to pass a bill). In particular, 146 Regions Party faction members, 73 Batkivschyna faction MPs, 33 UDAR faction MPs, 32 Svoboda faction MPs, and nine independent MPs voted for the instruction. The Communist Party faction refused to support the document. The draft instruction will be considered at second reading in two weeks. The same vote failed on Wednesday, when only 174 MP's supported the draft law.