Challenge launched against dissolution of Ukraine parliament

MPs supporting Ukraine's Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych asked the Constitutional Court today to consider the legality of the president's latest decree dissolving parliament and calling early elections, the court said.

President Viktor Yushchenko on Wednesday replaced his April 2 decree dissolving the legislature and announcing snap elections in late May with a new decree pushing the election date to June 24 to have enough time to prepare for the vote.

Yanukovych and his parliamentary majority dismissed the move as illegal and lodged an appeal with the high court.

Yanukovych charged that Yushchenko issued the new order out of fears that his previous decree - now being considered by the court - would be declared unconstitutional, and accused his rival of deepening the political crisis.

"Undoubtedly, the president feared the future decision of the Constitutional Court and he understood very well that it would not be in his favour," Yanukovych said during a meeting with Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis.

The stand-off has plunged Ukraine into its worst political crisis since 2004, when Yushchenko came to power after mass protests which became known as the Orange Revolution, against Yanukovych's fraud-marred victory in presidential elections.

Later in the day, about 10,000 flag-waving supporters of Yanukovych filled Kiev's main square to protest Yushchenko's decree. Yanukovych was expected to address the rally later today.

Meanwhile, Yushchenko's allies said they would hold their own rally tomorrow in support of Yushchenko's decision to dissolve parliament, which the president was due to attend.

Yanukovych returned as premier in August after his party won the most votes in the parliamentary election, capitalising on widespread disappointment in Yushchenko's slow reforms and bickering among the Orange Revolution allies.

The awkward power-sharing between Yushchenko and Yanukovych quickly deteriorated into squabbling.

Yushchenko issued the first decree dissolving Parliament after 11 MPs from pro-presidential factions defected to the premier's parliamentary majority, bringing it closer to the 300-vote super-majority in the 450-seat legislature it needs to override presidential vetoes. He called it a revision of the voters' will.

The 18-judge Constitutional Court is now considering the legality of the first decree and has until May 5 to announce its decision.

Also today, MPs from Yanukovych's coalition began discussing legal mechanisms to impeach Yushchenko. Yanukovych has threatened that if the court declares Yushchenko's order unconstitutional, the premier's allies in Parliament might begin impeachment proceedings against the president.