KIEV, April 27 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's Constitution Court said Friday it had received lawmakers' request to examine the legality of a new presidential decree to disband parliament and postpone early elections until June 24.
President Viktor Yuschenko issued another decree Thursday shortly before the Constitutional Court was to rule on his previous order that set early polls for May 27. The move has outraged the premier and his allies in parliament, who have opposed snap elections, protracting the crisis in the ex-Soviet state.
"An inquiry was filed today by 160 lawmakers," the court's acting press secretary Ivan Avramov said, adding the inquiry would be examined in due time, without elaborating.
Yushchenko's new decree questions current court hearings, which are widely expected to be in favor of his long-time rival, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.
The European Union and some European leaders have urged both factions in the conflict to honor any court ruling, and suggestions have been made in Ukraine that Yushchenko should step down if the court overturns his order triggered by the defection of pro-presidential lawmakers to Yanukovych's camp.
The leader of the Communist Party, which is part of the ruling coalition, blamed Yushchenko Friday for his "maniacal desire to stay in power" and pushed for a national campaign for a no-confidence vote.
"It is necessary to start gathering signatures across Ukraine to express no-confidence in the president," Petro Symonenko said.
Oleksandr Moroz, the speaker of Ukrainian parliament said, the issue of Yushchenko's impeachment has no perspectives.
"I believe that considering the issue is not perspective. Laws, which regulate the procedure of impeachment, have been blocked by the previous and current presidents, and I believe it is obvious what reasons guided them," Moroz said, adding that an unwritten impeachment procedure is impracticable.
Taras Chornovil, a senior member of the Party of Regions, which holds the majority of seats in the Supreme Rada, said Thursday that the issue of Yushchenko's impeachment was discussed at the session of the party shortly after president's April 26 decree, adding that the majority of party members attending the session believed all the necessary legal grounds were in place for impeachment.
Yushchenko's original decree April 2 and the legislature's defiance to dissolve itself plunged the country into political turmoil and sparked mass protests in the capital, Kiev.
