KIEV, March 12 - RAPSI, Alyona Meita. Ukrainian parliament Speaker Volodymyr Rybak has proposed adding the Supreme Court to the list of agencies which have the right to initiate amendments to the Constitution, the parliament's press service said.

"The Supreme Court had the right to do this until 1996. Practice shows that a large section of legislation deals with the activity of judges, and the Supreme Court's initiatives on modernizing the country's legal system and individual laws would benefit the legislative branch," Rybak said on Monday at a special meeting to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Supreme Court.

The Ukrainian opposition has denounced the speaker's initiative, which they see as the presidents attempt to introduce direct presidential rule. The opposition believes that the country's judicial system is subordinate to the authorities.

Currently, a bill on amending the Constitution can be submitted to the Supreme Rada by the president or at the initiative of at least one-third of the members of parliament.

In May 2012, President Viktor Yanukovych set up the Constitutional Assembly. This body has the right to draw up amendments to the Constitution which the president then forwards to the Supreme Rada, Ukraine's parliament.

Last year, parliament adopted a law on holding a national referendum to approve or reject new wordings of the Constitution or amendments to it, or to cancel or invalidate bills amending the constitution.