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Ukrainian Opposition Blocks Parliament Podium Again


Ukrainian opposition deputies block a platform inside the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv to prevent the session taking place on June 7.
Ukrainian opposition deputies block a platform inside the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv to prevent the session taking place on June 7.
Members of the opposition Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party have again blocked access to the podium in the Ukrainian parliament.

Parliament speaker Volodymyr Rybak had to run the evening session on June 6 from a seat assigned to guests.

The podium remained blocked on June 7.

Opposition lawmakers are demanding that President Viktor Yanukovych fulfill the constitutional requirement to appear before parliament to deliver his annual address.

The opposition says Yanukovych has been ignoring the requirement for years and his office has only distributed the texts of his annual addresses.

Opposition factions have already blocked the parliament's podium twice this year to increase pressure for the adoption of several laws, including a law requesting the physical presence of lawmakers during voting.

Based on reporting by UNIAN and Interfax

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