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WORLD NEWS Thursday 23 May 2019

Ukraine's parliament snubs new president on election law

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV rent system in which part of
EFREM LUKATSKY the legislature is elected in
Associated Press single-ballot races foments
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — graft.
Ukrainian lawmakers on But lawmakers refused to
Wednesday turned down consider Zelenskiy's propos-
the new president's propos- al. Former President Petro
al to amend the election Poroshenko's allies favor
law in a blow to his hopes the current election system,
to get more of his support- hoping that it will help them
ers into parliament. keep their seats.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a Zelenskiy criticized his foes
41-year-old comedian who and urged voters to elect
won 73% of the presidential a new generation of politi-
vote last month, dissolved cians.
parliament on Tuesday, "The old politicians chose
saying that current law- the old system because
makers were too focused it gives them a chance to
on self-enrichment and extend their political exis-
lacked public trust. Oleh Lyashko, leader of Ukraine's Radical Party, center, speaks to lawmakers during a parliament tence," he said on Face-
Zelenskiy, who became fa- session in Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, May 22, 2019. book. "They hope to sneak
mous for playing the role Associated Press back into the Verkhovna
of a Ukrainian president in Rada, but I'm sure they are
a popular TV sitcom, was in the parliamentary vote with the country's econom- es to the electoral law to mistaken and you will elect
gambling that his popu- set for July 21. ic woes and rampant cor- have the next parliament the new politicians capa-
larity will allow his party to His landslide victory reflect- ruption. elected entirely on party ble of changing the coun-
make a successful showing ed Ukrainians' exasperation Zelenskiy proposed chang- lists, arguing that the cur- try in deeds, not words."q

Polish bishops admit they haven't done enough to stop abuse

By VANESSA GERA church — even recently — olic church, Archbishop
Associated Press moved abusers from parish Wojciech Polak, told re-
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — to parish and let them have porters in Warsaw that the
Poland's bishops acknowl- contact with children. bishops also began work
edged on Wednesday "There are no words to ex- on a "systemic" response
that they have not done press our shame because to the problem of abuse
enough to prevent cleri- of sexual scandals involving by some clergy and to the
cal abuse of minors and clerics," the Polish Bishops' cases exposed in the docu-
said there are "no words" Conference said in a state- mentary.
to describe their shame ment, a message that is to He credited the docu-
about sex scandals involv- be read out in all churches mentary with prompting
ing priests. on Sunday. the new action. "The film,
The acknowledgement The scandals "are calling for taking into consideration
came as Poland, where a full condemnation and the perspective of the vic-
Catholic traditions and for severe consequences tims, made us aware of the
faith remain strong, is grap- to be drawn toward the enormity of their suffering,"
pling with the problem of criminals and persons cov- the bishops said in their
abuse in the church. Mas- ering up such actions," the statement.
sive soul searching was trig- message says. The response will include
gered by a documentary, "We admit that as shep- building a professional sys- In this Thursday, March 14, 2019 photo the head of Poland's
"Tell No One," that includes herds of the Church, we tem of reporting cases of Catholic Church Archbishop Wojciech Polak, right, addresses
the media during a news conference in Warsaw, Poland, in
testimony by victims, priests did not do everything to abuse and offering victims which the church revealed it has recorded cases of 382 priests
who admit their wrongdo- prevent harm," it adds. legal and psychological abusing minors since 1990.
ing and evidence that the The head of Poland's Cath- counselling. q Associated Press