Batkivschyna says Constitutional Court has not yet considered issue of elections in Kyiv
The Constitutional Court of Ukraine has not yet started considering a motion from the Regions Party regarding the elections in Kyiv, Batkivschyna faction, deputies said after a meeting with Constitutional Court Chairman Anatoliy Holovin.
The opposition deputies came to the Constitutional Court to examine the text of the motion, MP Yuriy Odarchenko said, the press service of the Batkivschyna Party reported on Thursday.
He said that in the eight-page document Regions Party MPs refer to the new constitution and stress that the elections should be held simultaneously throughout Ukraine in 2015.
"The issue of early elections is not raised in the motion. The essence of the motion is the holding of regular elections in Kyiv and Ternopil and throughout Ukraine in 2015," Odarchenko said.
He said that a panel of judges had not accepted this constitutional motion for consideration.
"The panel may accept or reject the motion by the end of the week or early next week. The shortest period of consideration under an accelerated procedure is one month," Odarchenko said.
He said that the Verkhovna Rada has no reason not to vote for the resolution, which was adopted on first reading, on the holding of elections in Kyiv on June 2, 2013.
He also said that motions would be submitted to the Constitutional Court by Regions Party representatives "who have nothing to do with the people of Kyiv or Kyiv itself."
He said that these people would do everything to delay or cancel the elections in the city.
MP Oleksandr Chornovolenko, in turn, noted that the opposition would insist on voting for the resolution to hold elections in Kyiv on June 2 as a whole at the plenary week, which starts on April 2.
As reported, early elections of Kyiv City Council deputies and Kyiv mayor were held in late May 2008. Kyiv Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky tendered his resignation on June 1, 2012. On July 12, 2012, the city council accepted the early termination of his powers.
According to the city council's decision, Kyiv City Council Secretary Halyna Hereha has temporarily fulfilled the duties of Kyiv mayor since the time of Chernovetsky's resignation.
The concerned committee of the Verkhovna Rada proposed holding local elections in Kyiv on June 2, 2013. However, 48 MPs appealed to the Constitutional Court with the request to officially interpret several articles of the constitution and the law on local elections whether regular elections can be held in Kyiv by 2015.
On Thursday, March 28, the Verkhovna Rada passed at first reading the decision to hold elections in Kyiv on June 2. The draft decision should be considered at second reading after two weeks.
However, the leader of the Regions Party faction in parliament, Oleksandr Yefremov, said that the faction would expect this decision of the Constitutional Court and plans to pass a resolution on the date of the elections only after the decision of the Constitutional Court.
At the same time, independent MP Petro Poroshenko said that the Constitutional Court had not accepted a respective motion for consideration, so "the Constitutional Court does not have this case, and there are no restrictions on the elections in Kyiv."
