UKRAINE: Judges complain of political pressure and demand bodyguards

Efforts to end Ukraine's long-running political deadlock suffered a setback on Tuesday (April 10) when five judges on the country's top constitutional body said they were being subjected to political pressure and could not carry out their work. Pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko, at odds for months with parliament and his prime minister, last week issued a decree dissolving the legislature and calling a May election. Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, defeated by the president in the aftermath of 2004 "Orange Revolution" protests, has challenged the decree in the Constitutional Court and refuses to take part in the new poll pending a court ruling. On the eve of the court's first session devoted to the decree, five of its 18 judges said they could play no further part in deliberations on the request for a ruling, made by pro-Yanukovich members of parliament, and asked to be provided with bodyguards. "We believe that outspoken public threats to the Constitutional Court judges, pressurising them by certain political forces which aim at intimidating them, making the court's activities politically-motivated in order to ensure a beneficial court decision, does not allow us to make legitimate decisions in an appeal by the 53 Ukrainian deputies," Judge Pert Stetsyuk said in a statement read out to reporters. "In these circumstances, we deem it impossible to take part in the process of adopting decisions, which influence Ukraine's fate, by the Constitutional Court unless court judges are provided with proper conditions for making unbiased, independent and legitimate decisions. To guarantee our security, we request to be provided by the state with guards according to law." Stetsyuk added. None of the five said who was behind the pressure, but Judge Viktor Shyshkyn said "constant incitement from the rostrum in parliament amount to an element of pressure". Since the president issued his decree on April 2, parliament has continued to pass acts in defiance of the dissolution order, including a bar on financing the election called for May 27. Yanukovich, backed by a majority in the chamber, has called on the president to rescind the decree pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court. Yushchenko said he dissolved parliament as the majority was illegally poaching his supporters. He dismisses as meaningless any measures adopted by parliament since the decree. The prime minister's backers have held rallies to recreate the atmosphere of the 2004 "orange" protests. But numbers have been small and the resolve of demonstrators unconvincing. Only a small crowd gathered to hear Yanukovich's allies in central Kiev on Tuesday. The opposition, led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, has long called for a new election. Opposition supporters have called a demonstration for Wednesday. A backer of European Union and NATO membership, Yushchenko's powers have been cut by constitutional change and his popularity has sunk as supporters accused him of vacillation. Yanukovich, friendlier to Moscow, staged a remarkable comeback in Ukraine's last parliamentary election -- barely a year ago -- when his party took first place. NP/AD

ITN Source | April 10, 2007

Tags:. .revolution. .proper. .adopting. .adopted. .remarkable