Mariana Bezuhla has publicly announced her return to the “Servant of the People” political party as of August 15. She stated that her decision to rejoin was not arbitrary.
Bezuhla expressed that her involvement with the party is driven by a need to push forward a resolution regarding military justice, which has faced opposition from the head of the parliamentary committee, Serhiy Kalchenko. She criticized Kalchenko, saying he disregards the lack of justice within the military, manipulating procedural rules to prevent her from forming a temporary investigative committee.
In her confirmation today, Bezuhla highlighted her intention to establish a special commission concerning military justice, a responsibility that cannot be held by an independent member of parliament. Additionally, she mentioned her desire to ensure her right to participate in all meetings and contribute actively to discussions.
She concluded her remarks by noting that her return might be temporary.
Background
- On January 11, 2024, Bezuhla announced her departure from the “Servant of the People” party, expressing that while she supports the President’s initiatives, she did not wish to be associated with fellow MPs whom she accused of betrayal. She was formally removed from the party on February 6.
- This decision followed several scandals, including her criticism of military leadership after General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi failed to provide a war plan for 2024, which she claimed necessitated a change in military leadership.
- The “Servant of the People” party distanced itself from her comments, stating they reflected her personal views. Reports indicated that some party members called for her expulsion.
- On November 27, a proposal for Bezuhla’s dismissal from her deputy committee chair position was presented to the parliament but was not evaluated on two separate occasions.
- On March 28, 2024, party leader Oleksandr Korniyenko noted that he had not received any formal resignation from Bezuhla. Bezuhla later claimed on Facebook that her resignation had been mishandled.
- On July 15, Bezuhla was removed from her role as head of the parliamentary subcommittee on democratic civilian control and was subsequently listed in the “Peacemaker” database for actions deemed as undermining the military effort. She officially left the “Servant of the People” party on July 17.
