Kiev court annuls presidential decree to dissolve parliament

The Kiev District Court today suspended the Ukrainian president's decree to dissolve parliament and call snap parliamentary polls, the Unian agency reported. Volodymyr Pylypenko, a representative of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, was quoted as saying that the ruling was made in response to a lawsuit filed by the bloc against President Viktor Yushchenko and the Central Election Commission (CEC). Kiev court annuls presidential decree to dissolve parliament Yushchenko dissolved parliament October 9 and announced snap elections in the country would be held December 7. The step was taken due to a failure by members of parliament to form a new ruling coalition. Under the Ukrainian constitution, the president has the right to dissolve parliament, the Supreme Rada, if no coalition is formed within 30 days. Elections must take place 60 days after parliament is dissolved. Pylypenko also said the court banned the CEC from holding any meetings to organize early elections to the Supreme Rada. He said the lawsuit was filed immediately after the presidential decree was published. "The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc's position regarding prevention of anti-constitutional parliamentary polls remains the same," he said. Pylypenko said the bloc will turn to international organizations to complain of Yushchenko "usurping" power. Unian quoted a CEC source as saying that about 40 Tymoshenko bloc MPs were on the CEC premises, citing the court ruling to prevent staff from preparing for early elections. Earlier the CEC said the election campaign would kick off Saturday. The Ukrainian justice minister said Saturday there was no way to cancel the presidential decree that dismissed the Rada and called the early polls. Yushchenko earlier blamed the collapse of the country's ruling coalition on Prime Minster Yulia Tymoshenko, referring to "the dominance of personal interests over national ones." The country's pro-Western ruling coalition collapsed September 3 when the pro-presidential Our Ukraine withdrew from the alliance after Tymoshenko's bloc joined with the opposition Party of Regions, led by Russia-friendly Viktor Yanukovych, to approve legislation substantially cutting the president's powers. Yushchenko called the move a "constitutional coup." The coalition was officially dissolved September 16. "By October 8, 2008, I had not received a single proposal from any political force on the formation of a majority coalition. Accordingly ... the Ukrainian people must decide," Yushchenko said October 9, noting that parliament had driven itself into a "dead-end." Analysts expect both Yushchenko and Tymoshenko to stand for president in elections due in 2010. The two were allies in the 2004 "Orange Revolution" but have since drifted apart on a host of issues, including the recent armed conflict between Russia and Georgia. Tymoshenko earlier blocked a parliamentary vote to condemn Russia's "aggression" in Georgia during the recent conflict over South Ossetia and resisted the president's attempts to impose restrictions on Russia's Black Sea Fleet, currently stationed in Ukraine's Sevastopol port. Yushchenko subsequently accused the prime minister of being a Kremlin agent.

Kiev court annuls presidential decree to dissolve parliament

Yushchenko dissolved parliament October 9 and announced snap elections in the country would be held December 7. The step was taken due to a failure by members of parliament to form a new ruling coalition.

Under the Ukrainian constitution, the president has the right to dissolve parliament, the Supreme Rada, if no coalition is formed within 30 days. Elections must take place 60 days after parliament is dissolved.

Pylypenko also said the court banned the CEC from holding any meetings to organize early elections to the Supreme Rada.

He said the lawsuit was filed immediately after the presidential decree was published. "The Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc's position regarding prevention of anti-constitutional parliamentary polls remains the same," he said.

Pylypenko said the bloc will turn to international organizations to complain of Yushchenko "usurping" power.

Unian quoted a CEC source as saying that about 40 Tymoshenko bloc MPs were on the CEC premises, citing the court ruling to prevent staff from preparing for early elections. Earlier the CEC said the election campaign would kick off Saturday.

The Ukrainian justice minister said Saturday there was no way to cancel the presidential decree that dismissed the Rada and called the early polls.

Yushchenko earlier blamed the collapse of the country's ruling coalition on Prime Minster Yulia Tymoshenko, referring to "the dominance of personal interests over national ones."

The country's pro-Western ruling coalition collapsed September 3 when the pro-presidential Our Ukraine withdrew from the alliance after Tymoshenko's bloc joined with the opposition Party of Regions, led by Russia-friendly Viktor Yanukovych, to approve legislation substantially cutting the president's powers. Yushchenko called the move a "constitutional coup."

The coalition was officially dissolved September 16.

"By October 8, 2008, I had not received a single proposal from any political force on the formation of a majority coalition. Accordingly ... the Ukrainian people must decide," Yushchenko said October 9, noting that parliament had driven itself into a "dead-end."

Analysts expect both Yushchenko and Tymoshenko to stand for president in elections due in 2010. The two were allies in the 2004 "Orange Revolution" but have since drifted apart on a host of issues, including the recent armed conflict between Russia and Georgia.

Tymoshenko earlier blocked a parliamentary vote to condemn Russia's "aggression" in Georgia during the recent conflict over South Ossetia and resisted the president's attempts to impose restrictions on Russia's Black Sea Fleet, currently stationed in Ukraine's Sevastopol port.

Yushchenko subsequently accused the prime minister of being a Kremlin agent.