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Ukrainian opposition lawmaker announces signature collecting campaign to impeach president

The move followed Vladimir Zelensky’s decision to impose sanctions on Opposition Platform - For Life party’s lawmaker Taras Kozak and his three television channels

A meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Andrei Ratmirov/TASS

A meeting of the Verkhovna Rada

© Andrei Ratmirov/TASS

KIEV, February 16. /TASS/. A signature collecting campaign to impeach Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has kicked off among the lawmakers of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, or national legislature, Ilya Kiva, a lawmaker with the Opposition Platform - For Life party, said on Tuesday.

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"A signature collecting campaign for President Zelensky’s impeachment has started among the lawmakers," he wrote on Telegram. In his words, it is a "historic moment."

He also posted a photo featuring nine signatures in favor of the proposed move.

The Opposition Platform - For Life announced on February 4 it was initiating the procedure to impeach President Vladimir Zelensky. A resolution to this effect was passed by the party’s congress on that day. It followed Zelensky’s decision to impose sanctions on the party’s lawmaker Taras Kozak and his three television channels, 112 Ukraina, NewsOne, and Zik. The party slammed the president’s decision as "anti-constitutional and illegal."

Meanwhile, presidential spokesperson, Yulia Mendel has accused the opposition of seeking to provoke a crisis in Ukraine.

The law on the impeachment procedure came into force in Ukraine in September 2019. Under the law, the president can be removed from office in case of high treason or another crime. Lawmakers need to collect at least 226 votes to initiate the impeachment procedure.

Once the procedure is initiated, a temporary investigation commission is to be set up within 30 days to probe into high treason or other charges. The final decision to impeach the president is taken upon securing at least three fourths of Rada lawmakers’ votes.

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