RADIO FREE EUROPE / RADIO LIBERTY

www.rferl.org

Advanced Search


  
Monday, April 30, 2007
Ukrainian Parliament Calls For December Polls
Ukraine - Parliament supporters continue their protests outside the Constitutional Court building in Kyiv, 27Apr2007
Demonstrations in Kyiv
(epa)
April 30, 2007 -- Ukraine's parliament today passed a resolution calling for simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections to be held by December 9.

Earlier this month, Yushchenko signed a decree dissolving parliament and ordering new parliamentary elections.

Yushchenko's rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, and his majority in parliament have boycotted the presidential decree and challenged it in the Constitutional Court.

Parliament speaker Oleksandr Moroz said today's resolution requires that changes be made to the constitution:

"We're adopting a resolution that calls for such elections to be held in late November or early December, because under the constitution elections can be held no earlier than 90 days after such a right is granted," he said. "And this right is granted by making changes to the constitutions, which, according to parliamentary procedure, we cannot do earlier than September 2 to September 7."

The president has ruled out an early presidential ballot and set parliamentary elections for June 24.

(compiled from agency reports)


[ rfe/rl logo ]
Related Articles
RFE/RL Belarus, Ukraine, And Moldova Report
 
 For weekly news and analysis on Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova by e-mail, subscribe to "RFE/RL Belarus, Ukraine, And Moldova Report."
Other News
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2008 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Contact us: web@rferl.org