Ukraine’s Supreme Rada to impeach President Kuchma

According to the just received information, Ukraine’s Supreme Rada allowed the claim to Public Prosecutor Mikhail Potebenko. Ukrainian parliamentarians are going to institute criminal proceedings against President Leonid Kuchma. The proceedings are to be instituted because of “Kuchma’s activity that allowed Ex-Prime Minister Pavel Lazarenko to organize assassinations of deputies Eugeny Scherban and Vadim Getman”, as the claim says.

The procedure was initiated by representatives of the “Anti-mafia” deputy group – Grigory Omelchenko, Anatoly Yermak and Viktor Shishkin. The number of deputies who supported the initiative made up 160 out of the 345 registered.

The deputies suggest, a large-scale and objective investigation of the case is to be held; materials of the investigation are to be further submitted to the Supreme Rada. The parliament should consider the possibility of impeachment to President Leonid Kuchma.

No comments from the Ukrainian presidential administration have been received yet. PRAVDA.Ru’s correspondent in Ukraine will soon report about further development of the situation.

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/03/05/37858.html