MP: Ukrainian society will be disappointed by Law 8371

Verkhovna Rada Deputy Oleh Dunda. Photo: kievvlast.com.ua

Oleh Dunda, the chairman of the inter-factional association of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine "For Decolonization and the Dismantling of the Russian Empire" and an MP from the Servant of the People party, stated that Ukrainian society will be disappointed by bill 8371, which essentially bans the activities of the UOC, reports UWN.

According to Dunda, the problem lies in the fact that Ukrainians expect the Church to be banned "in one fell swoop" right after the law is passed, but the mechanism prescribed in bill 8371 doesn’t work that way. Legal proceedings for each parish could last for years, involving courts of first instance and subsequent instances.

"The SBU and many other related agencies must be involved. Accordingly, there must be a final court decision on each case. We understand how this can be delayed. As a result, we will face problems with the SBU and the Cabinet of Ministers, where there will be people who will slow down this process. In fact, for each separate object—and we have thousands of them—these cases will drag on for several years. This is the problem with this bill. We are not just exposing the problems of the UOC-MP; we are dealing with issues within the state apparatus, where there are many potential collaborators who are ready to keep the situation as it is, and they will use the provisions of this law to avoid doing anything," said the deputy.

Dunda is convinced that Ukrainians expect the UOC to no longer exist in Ukraine the day after the law is passed.

"But this is not the case. They will go to Sunday service and think it's gone, only to see the UOC-MP sign. They will be disappointed and will say: 'Wait, were we deceived?' Explaining to them that each object requires a separate procedure, with legal delays involving first, second, and third instances, will be very difficult. There will be great disappointment because they were misled. Public expectations will not match reality," Dunda added.

As reported by the UOJ, the leadership of the OCU demands to ban the UOC, blackmailing the authorities with elections.

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