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President defends court ruling banning MP
Journal Staff Report

KIEV, March 14 – President Viktor Yanukovych on Thursday defended a recent court ruling stripping an opposition lawmaker of his parliamentary seat, but admitted the move will have negative impact on relations with the European Union.

Serhiy Vlasenko, a member of the opposition Batkivshchyna party who led jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s legal defense team, was stripped the seat last week. The court ruled to punish Vlasenko for combining his lawmaker duties and lawyer status, which is prohibited by law.

The move, however, triggered fresh criticism within the EU as a new case of selective justice aimed at weakening opposition parties in Ukraine.

Some analysts said the development may complicate Ukraine’s chances of signing a key political association and free trade agreement with the EU in November.

Yanukovych agreed the case may have negative influence on the relations with the EU.

“How will this affect the relations with the EU?” Yanukovych said at a press conference. “Of course, in a negative way.”

Opposition lawmakers accused Yanukovych of staging the trial to punish Vlasenko, but had defended the court ruling and said it was approved “in line with the law.”

The development comes a week after Yanukovych was given by EU leaders three months to show progress in eliminating cases of selective justice to clear the way for signing the political association and free trade agreement in November.

Key demands apparently include releasing Tymoshenko and former interior minister Yuriy Lutsenko, both are known to be political enemies of Yanukovych.

Meanwhile, the admission that the court ruling may complicate relations with the EU come a day after Yanukovych had urged the government to take measures that would make sure Ukraine signs the agreement with the EU.

The failure to meet the deadline in May would most likely postpone the agreement for years, seriously complicating the country’s chances of reforming its economy and achieving robust economic growth.

It would also push Ukraine towards Russia’s political orbit and may force Kiev to join the Customs Union, a Moscow-led political and trade bloc, which also includes Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Ukraine hopes to sign the agreement at an EU-Ukraine summit in Vilnius in November. The May deadline was given because some time would be needed after that to tie up any loose ends if the agreement is to be signed at the summit. (tl/ez)




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