Ukrainian Premier Says President to Accept Compromise on Cabinet Law

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has contested some provisions of the controversial law on the Cabinet of Ministers in the Constitutional Court, but has agreed to withdraw the suit if his objections are accepted by parliament, Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych has said.

Ukrainian ICTV television showed Yanukovych speaking after consultations with the president and speaker Oleksandr Moroz on the situation following the publication of the law on the cabinet, which significantly reduced the president’s ability to influence the executive branch of power.

Yanukovych said: “We have a certain number of articles in the current law on the Cabinet of Ministers – approximately eight articles – on which positions differ. Discussion can be held around those articles. The president has filed a suit with the Constitutional Court about some of the articles – those regarding the procedure of appointing the prime minister of Ukraine in parliament and those regarding the procedure of appointing the minister of foreign affairs and the minister of defence. If these issues are considered in parliament and the differences are removed, the president will withdraw this suit.”

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