Ban Gays and Turn Flag Upside Down: Exploring Kiev's New Suggestion Box

The office of Ukraine's president has launched a new web site which solicits suggestions for new legislation.

While it has received constructive comments advising, for example, that elections must be held with open party lists and that an electronic voting system could be set up in the nation's parliament with finger identification-recognition, it has also served as a grab-bag of grass roots populist ideas, giving every blowhard that has ever said "there ought to be a law" a chance to speak his or her mind.

Suggestions include banning homosexuality, turning the national flag upside down and liberalizing private gun ownership.

Just recently Ukraine’s head of state signed a law, later adopted by the parliament, on electronic applications and online petitions.

The law provides for the submission of individual and group applications via the Internet and creates an opportunity for Ukrainian citizens to address the President, Verkhovna Rada, Cabinet of Ministers and local self-government through the submission of e-petitions on official websites.

A petition addressed to the President, Parliament or Government, however, must gain at least 25,000 votes within a maximum of 3 months from the date of submission.

If the petition doesn't have the necessary number of votes, it will be considered as an application of citizens under the Law of Ukraine "On the Application of Citizens", according to the statement on the presidential website.

So far, the above applications have gained not more than 291 votes.