Controversial Ukrainian Lawmaker Bezuhla Returns to Servant of the People Party

Ukrainian lawmaker Mariana Bezuhla returned to the Servant of the People legislative party on Tuesday, Aug. 18, during a plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada, after leaving the party in summer 2024.Bezuhla announced her return during the live broadcast of the Verkhovna Rada session.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.Bezuhla later explained her decision in a Telegram post, saying she returned to the party to help establish a special commission on military justice, which she said cannot be headed by a lawmaker outside a legislative party. She also said membership would give her a more stable right to participate in Verkhovna Rada meetings.“I explained why I returned to Servant of the People: to create a special commission on military justice, which cannot be headed by a non-affiliated lawmaker, and also to have a stable right to participate in all meetings – and, of course, not remain silent there,” Bezuhla wrote. “Perhaps this is temporary.”She left the Servant of the People party in summer 2024, explaining at the time that she did not understand the priorities of her colleagues on the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence.In September 2024, Bezuhla was also removed from her position as deputy chair of the committee.Bezuhla has become one of Ukraine’s most outspoken and controversial lawmakers, frequently making headlines for her public criticism of the country’s military leadership. She has repeatedly clashed with senior military officials, including former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhny and his successor, Oleksandr Syrsky, over the conduct of the war and the performance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU). Other Topics of Interest Ships Not Entering Odesa Ports: What This Means for Ukraine’s Grain Exports Kyiv Post examines why Ukraine’s agroexports from Greater Odesa collapsed after a fatal drone strike, and how farmers, traders, and shipping officials are responding as grain prices fall below cost. Her public statements have repeatedly drawn backlash from military figures, politicians and other officials, while her social media posts have made her a prominent and polarizing figure in Ukrainian politics.In 2024, the Verkhovna Rada removed her from the post of deputy chair of the National Security, Defense and Intelligence Committee after she had already been stripped of a subcommittee leadership position.Two lawmakers take Verkhovna Rada oathsTwo other lawmakers from the Servant of the People party, Bohdan Morklianyk and Viktoriia Reznikova, took their oaths as members of the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday.They entered the Rada via the party list to replace Denys Maslov and Vitalii Bezghin, who became ministers.The two lawmaker appointments bring the number of new Servant of the People Deputies sworn in during Tuesday’s plenary session to two. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.