Constitutional Court judgment on referendum over a new Constitution

A new Constitution cannot be approved by an all-Ukrainian referendum until the Verkhovna Rada makes amendments to the Constitution. This judgment was made public by the Constitutional Court on Friday.

At the same time the judges concluded that decisions passed in a referendum were final and did not require any further affirmation, this including any steps from the Verkhovna Rada.

President Yushchenko had made a submission to the Court regarding this issue. Representatives of the opposition and of the Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko maintain that amendments to the Constitution may only be approved by the Verkhovna Rada.

A draft resolution has been registered in parliament on the creation of a Temporary Special Commission on drawing up amendments to the Constitution. The President is convinced that it is not time for it to begin its work.