An unexpected political twist is brewing in the Ukrainian parliament. Independent People's Deputy Anna Bezuglaya has announced her intention to rejoin the parliamentary faction of 'Servant of the People'. According to the deputy, this step is a forced measure necessary to advance critically important legislation.
Blocking of military justice
The main reason for returning to the ruling party, Bezuglaya cited an artificial obstacle created for the work of the Temporary Investigative Commission (TIC). The deputy is trying to initiate the creation of a military justice system, however, according to her, the leadership of the Rules Committee is blocking the corresponding resolution.
As the culprit of the blockage, Bezuglaya named Hryhoriy Kalchenko, a representative of 'Servant of the People' and head of the Rules Committee. The deputy claims that Kalchenko refers to the norms of the rules, according to which an independent People's Deputy allegedly does not have the right to convene a TIC.
"So, I will have to join 'Servant of the People' so that he stops playing with commas and passes the resolution to the hall. And finally, my colleagues and I received a mandate for military justice, which should have been done many years ago," Bezuglaya wrote in her message.
Conditions of return and procedural nuances
It is important to understand that the decision to return the deputy to the faction is not unilateral. Even with Bezuglaya's own desire, the final word remains with the members of the 'Servant of the People' faction. They will have to officially agree to the return of a colleague to their ranks.
The deputy herself promises that after joining, she will regularly attend all faction meetings and strive for the adoption of the necessary resolution. Bezuglaya left the faction in July 2024. Since she was elected in a majoritarian district, her departure from the party and faction did not entail the loss of her deputy mandate.
History of conflict and criticism of the command
The return to 'Servant of the People' marks a new stage in Bezuglaya's political career, who previously repeatedly emphasized her disagreement with the methods of work of her colleagues in the faction and the Committee on National Security.
Since autumn 2023, the deputy entered into a public conflict with the then Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny. Her complaints concerned the lack of a "war plan" for 2024 and issues of mobilization. After the change of command, Bezuglaya continued to criticize the new Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The deputy also actively opposed the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yurii Sodolya, calling him a "criminal and murderer," and later criticized the Commander of the Air Forces Mykola Oleshchuk. It was against the backdrop of these conflicts and disagreements with the leadership of the National Security Committee that she left the faction in mid-2024.
