If a member of Parliament misses an entire plenary session due to a political boycott, it will be considered an unexcused absence — according to the new regulations, a boycott may be declared not against the plenary session in general, but rather in relation to a specific item on the session’s agenda.
According to the draft regulations initiated in Parliament, a deputy’s absence from a plenary session will not be considered unexcused if a faction or an independent MP refrains from participating in the discussion and decision-making of a specific agenda item due to political views. The member of Parliament must submit a boycott statement either in writing to the Speaker or verbally during the session. The boycott statement must specify the agenda item that is being boycotted.
"Parliamentary practice has shown that parliamentary subjects often misuse the boycott mechanism in bad faith to avoid having their absence from plenary sessions classified as unexcused. Despite the current regulation stating that a boycott should relate to a specific issue under discussion, parliamentary subjects have been declaring general boycotts for entire plenary weeks, and sometimes even for full parliamentary sessions. Therefore, it is necessary to further clarify this mechanism," reads the explanatory note attached to the draft regulation.
The new regulations are set to come into effect on July 1, 2025. Upon their enactment, the current regulations adopted in 2018 will be declared null and void.
