MENU
Documenting
war crimes in Ukraine

The Tribunal for Putin (T4P) global initiative was set up in response to the all-out war launched by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022.

Is our President legitimate?

21.05.2000   
I. L., Odessa
Yuri Karmazin, an MP, the chairman of the Supreme Rada Committee in charge of legislative provision of law-enforcing activities and one of the 15 candidates to Presidency, turned to the Supreme Court of Ukraine with a claim. The claim states that, according to the Constitution, the term of Presidency of Leonid Kuchma expired on 19 July, and later his activities as a President are illegal.

Mr. Karmazin is sure that, according to the Constitution of Ukraine, the only carrier of power in out state is the people, who elected Leonid Kuchma as a President and gave him Presidential rights for five years since the moment of taking the oath by him. Since Leonid Kuchma took the oath on 19 July 1994, then his Presidential rights expired on 19 July 1999. Mr. Karmazin states that only the people have the right to continue L. Kuchma. s term for more then five years. So, for example, the rights of A. Lukashenko, the President of Belarus, were prolonged by the referendum. The Supreme Rada of Ukraine appointed the Presidential election for October 1999, but the Rada did not prolong his rights, since it had no right to do it.

It is difficult to predict how will the Supreme Court get out of this sophisticated collision, but any decision of the court will not add any leaves to the laurel wreath of the guarantor of the Constitution.
 Share this