Ukraine’s parliament overrode a presidential veto on Friday to pass a cabinet law, according to the President`s press-office.
Victor Yushchenko is going to contest it before the Constitutional Court on Monday, January 15, First Deputy Secretariat Chief of Staff Arseniy Yatsenyuk said at a press conference.
“The unconstitutionality of the law obliges the President to appeal to the Constitutional Court to declare many of its clauses unconstitutional,” he said.
“The law violates eleven direct constitutional rules. In fact, the balance of powers was undermined today. And it was changed in one direction, giving a very serious source of influence to the government.”
Mr. Yatsenyuk said the law interferes with what the President and courts are entitled to do. For example, citizens will no longer be able to contest the government’s decisions and actions before general jurisdiction courts, he explained. The law also diminishes the role of the National Defense and Security Council, which controls and coordinates Ukraine’s executive offices.
“I could enumerate all the 42 proposals by the President but I think the issue is not legal but shows that top-level agreements were breached,” he said.
He said the country’s leaders had recently agreed to prepare a “constitutional, not unconstitutional” cabinet bill.
“No law must be created for individuals, for incumbent officials, but to fit the country’s interests. Unfortunately, this law was not written in this way,” he said.
Speaking about Friday’s second vote to amend the Law on Banks and Banking, Mr. Yatsenyuk said this document would enable the parliamentary majority to gain full control over Ukraine’s two biggest banks.
“I would like to wish Ukrainian bankers a good financial year in 2007 and good results in this new structure,” he said ironically.
Mr. Yatsenyuk said the President would also ask the Constitutional Court to probe its constitutionality and would sign none of today`s laws.
