Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych considers the decision of National Council for Security and Defense (NCSD) to recommend the dismissal of ministers Mykola Rudkovsky and Nestor Shufrych a purely political one.
“If such decision is made twenty days before elections, it is purely political,” said Mr. Yanukovych when opening Wednesday government session.
He also called the respective session a political “game which reminds [him] of old Soviet times when political bureau used to sit down and play dismissals.”
“Such sessions do not contribute to stability, they relate to usurpation of power by one institution, to violation of laws and the Constitution,” he noted.
Mr. Yanukovych also added that he didn’t know that this item was on the agenda: “I was very surprised when I found out about it.”
Meanwhile Prime Minister addressed governmental officials asking them to suggest how the Cabinet of Ministers should react to this decision.
Minister of Justice Oleksandr Lavrynovych reminded in return that HR issues are not legally a part of the NCSD authority.
Besides, according to him, “lately everyone has been turning a blind eye to the fact that NCSD employs people who must not work for the council under the law.”
“Therefore, all of their approved decisions are not legitimate,” stressed Mr. Lavrynovych.
In his turn, deputy head of President’s Secretariat Oleksandr Shlapak when answering the questions of journalists before the governmental session said that non-implementation of NCSD decision will trigger only political implications for the government, and “the lawyers will still discuss and ponder over the issue.”
He also added that presidential decree based on NCSD decision will be issued in the nearest time.
When asked how a decree can serve as a recommendation he said: “It is formulated in the following way: NCSD considers advisable to remove both ministers and charges the Prime Minister with doing it according to the legal procedure.”
Source: Ukrayinska Pravda
