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Ukraine parliament to debate comeback to 2004 constitution on Friday

KIEV, February 21, 3:59 /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, will debate Friday comeback to the 2004 Constitution, which limits presidential powers in favour of parliament, Rada’s Vice-Speaker Ruslan Koshulinsky said live on Ukrainian television on Friday.

“We delayed this issue to a next plenary meeting, because several lawmakers were not prepared to vote for a specific Verkhovna Rada resolution at the previous meeting,” Koshulinsky said.

The vice-speaker also noted that parliament would debate creation of a technical government in Ukraine on Friday.

Lawmaker from opposition faction Batkivshchina Sergey Sobolev also confirmed this. “We are prepared to form a government after comeback to the 2004 Constitution,” he said. “I am not interested in the name of prime minister, we are prepared to form a cabinet and launch reforms. Programme of reforms, its fulfilment is important for us,” he noted. In his words, after comeback to the 2004 fundamental law the Verkhovna Rada will be empowered “to dismiss chief law enforcers.” “We have already gathered 150 signatures required for dismissal of Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka,” the lawmaker added.

A break is announced in the Verkhovna Rada. Deputies will assemble at 10:00 local time (08:00 GMT) on Friday.

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