Sumy region students call for Plekhanov’s dismissal

Students from the Sumy region have come out in protest against the appointment of the former Head of the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Sumy region, Mykola Plekhanov, as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.

In an appeal to the leaders of the country and of the region, endorsed by the Student Fraternity of the Sumy Region [Studentske Bratstvo], the Student Resistance Movement and the Civic Initiative “Night Watch”, they are demanding that Plekhanov be dismissed from this post and that no further such appointments be made in the future.

The students mention the unlawful actions of the Sumy region police in summer 2004, in particular, the destruction of the tent city in Sumy, the assault on participants in the march to Kyiv near Andriyashivka, in the Romensky district, and its active role in the presidential election vote-rigging.

They call the appointment of Plekhanov “shameful for Ukrainian democracy” and say that if nothing is done, they reserve the right to take “adequate measures”.

On 13 December the (recently appointed) Minister of Internal Affairs Vasyl Tsushko presented the management of the MIA the newly-appointed heads of the Ministry. Pursuant to Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers from 13.12.2006, Mykola Plekhanov was appointed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs on staffing matters and internal security.

On 15 December President Yushchenko suspended the force of several resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers on appointing seven deputies to the Minister of Internal Affairs.