SpyLOG
USD26/0531.7572+0.1325
EUR26/0539.8426+0.0745
RTS25/051272.38-0.02%
MICEX09/091518.22-2.46%
RIA Novosti

World

Kiev MPs defy prosecutor dismissal, ready to stop successor

Topic: Political crisis in Ukraine

20:59 30/05/2007
KIEV, May 30 (RIA Novosti) - The Ukrainian parliament Wednesday voted against the president's order to dismiss Svyatoslav Piskun as the country's top prosecutor and moved to block Piskun's former deputy and successor from entering Piskun's office.

The parliament was adjourned after the vote, making it impossible for the president to formally nominate a new prosecutor.

MPs from the Party of Regions, led by Yushchenko's rival Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, threatened to prevent Viktor Shemchuk, Piskun's former deputy and chief prosecutor of the Crimea, whom Yushchenko had appointed as Acting Prosecutor General, from entering the Prosecutor General's Office.

"Even if the court of appeal rules that Piskun was [rightly] dismissed as Prosecutor General, we will physically prevent Shemchuk from entering the office because the president must have a Rada stamp of approval before going ahead with the dismissal," Vasyl Kiselev, a senior MP with the Party of Regions, said outside the Prosecutor General's Office.

"The law is on our side. If the president does not understand this, we will try to convince him that he should not break the law and the Constitution," he added.

Both contenders for the prosecutorial post described the situation as beyond reason.

"So far, I am [the Prosecutor General]. We'll wait and see," Piskun said. "The decree [to appoint Shemchuk] is outright nonsense."

Shemchuk said he could as well serve as Prosecutor General outside his office but said, "this looks absurd to me."

Yushchenko has been pressing for parliament's dissolution and early elections since April 2, when he ordered parliament dissolved following the defection of 11 opposition members to the premier-led ruling coalition in parliament, which the president said violated the Constitution.

  • Add to blog
  • Send to friend
  • Share

Add to blog

You may place this material on your blog by copying the link.

Publication code:

Preview:

RIA NovostiKiev MPs defy prosecutor dismissal, ready to stop successor

20:59 30/05/2007 The Ukrainian parliament Wednesday voted against the president's order to dismiss Svyatoslav Piskun as the country's top prosecutor and moved to block Piskun's former deputy and successor from entering Piskun's office. >>

Send by e-mail

All fields are required!

Leave a comment






    Рейтинг@Mail.ru  Rambler's Top100
    © 2012 RIA Novosti