The presidential representative to the constitutional court, Volodymyr Shapoval, told a news conference on Thursday the court had not yet closed hearings into the legality of Victor Yushchenko’s April 2 decree to dissolve parliament, according to the President`s press-office.

“I am slightly surprised that the hearings into the first decree have not been closed yet,” he said. “I am afraid the court is becoming too politicized. It has a few justices who see themselves as politicians. I felt it when I was taking part in the hearings. This is very dangerous for the constitutional court.”

Видео дня

Speaking about the second decree to reschedule fresh elections for June 24, Shapoval said it helped President Yushchenko resolve a number of political and legal issues. He said his boss had stated in the preamble to the second order that his first decree had been defied by the country’s top officials and that the Central Election Commission had no quorum to work.

“Today, we can see some progress: the Central Election Commission is working. So we can say the second decree has achieved results,” he said.

He said “the ideology of the second document has not changed” but added that Yushchenko had cited item 1 of article 90 of the constitution to dissolve parliament.

Shapoval said Ukraine’s governing coalition had admitted the second decree was in force by appealing against it. He described parliamentary sessions as “unauthorized gatherings of former deputies” and said he was ready to defend Yushchenko’s position before the constitutional court again.