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Ukrainian president dissolves parliament

03 April 2007 09:40 (UTC +04:00)

After consultations with the parliamentary leadership and leaders of parliamentary factions, Yushchenko decreed on holding extraordinary parliamentary elections on May 27.
He said that he made this decision corresponding to Constitution, constitutional procedures and presidentâ€™s duties.
â€œMy actions are dictated by the strict necessity to save the stateâ€™s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Efforts for straining political situation continue in the parliament, and this causes danger for our people and state,â€ he said.
Yushchenko stated that he made the decision to prevent the people from unconstitutional acts.
â€œThe situation is stable in the country. Presidentâ€™s decree is to be expected. Extraordinary elections will be held conforming to the constitution and democratic international standards,â€ he said.
After the Presidentâ€™s decree the parliament had a meeting with Prime Minister Victor Yanukovichâ€™s participation. They decided to appeal to the President to annul the decree. The appeal says all proposals concerning solution of political crisis and finding political compromise put forward by the president have been taken into consideration. The parliament appealed to the Constitutional Court and called on the instance to analyze whether the presidentâ€™s decree conforms to the Constitution. One of the members of the government appointed by presidentâ€™s quota â€“ defense Minister Anatoli Gritsenko supported Victor Yushchenkol. He called on the government to execute presidentâ€™s decree. The minister announced that the army will act in the framework of the constitution and laws.
The government supports had a meeting outside the parliament. Vasili Kiselyov, one of the leaders of Regions Party said that if the president does not annul this decree, they will gather millions of people to Kyiv. Presidentâ€™s supporters are expected to gather in Independence Square. /APA/