KIEV, May 24 ??“ President Viktor Yushchenko on Thursday fired Sviatoslav Piskun from the post of the prosecutor general after he had apparently joined the pro-Russian coalition in sabotaging Yushchenko??™s decree calling for early election.

Yushchenko appointed Viktor Shymchuk, the top prosecutor in Ukraine??™s autonomous region of Crimea, as the acting prosecutor general in Ukraine. Shymchuk is Yushchenko??™s loyalist.

The development triggered a reaction from the pro-Russian coalition with Internal Affairs Minister Vasyl Tsushko sending special police troops to block the reshuffle.

The dismissal of Piskun comes a month after his surprise re-installment on the post.

Yushchenko was apparently unhappy with General Prosecutor Oleksandr Medvedko after his refusal to enforce the implementation of the presidential decree calling for early election on June 24.

Piskun apparently promised to enforce the decree, but his actual position had sharply deviated over the past several days as he had joined the pro-Russian coalition in openly sabotaging Yushchenko??™s decree.

On Tuesday Piskun closed investigation against three judges of the Constitutional Court that had been accused of taking massive bribes. One of the judges, Susanna Stanik, was accused by the security service of getting $12 million in property and real estate over the past two years. Stanik denied any wrongdoing.

On Wednesday Piskun apparently traveled to Donetsk, the stronghold of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych??™s Regions Party, for a secret meeting with Yanukovych and Rinat Akhmetov, the key financial sponsor of the party.

Meanwhile, Yushchenko officially used other reason for dismissing Piskun. Piskun failed to quit Parliament within 20 days after getting the new appointment as had been required by law, according to the presidential office.

Piskun was elected to Parliament in March 2006 on the ticket of the Regions Party, Yanukovych??™s group. (nr/ez)
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