Prosecutor General's Trip To Donetsk Football Match Leads To Coup Panic

President Viktor Yushchenko issued an order firing Prosecutor General Svyatoslav Piskun yesterday. However, members of the coalition and police units arrived at the Prosecutor General’s office following the announcement to prevent Piskun’s dismissal. Piskun later left the building of his own will and said that he would appeal Yushchenko’s order. The event marked the second time Yushchenko has fired Piskun. Nick Piazza: Piskun was reinstated as Proscecutor last month as part of an agreement with the coalition to investigate corruption charges involving constitutional court judges, however Yushchenko has been frustrated with the pace of the investigations and according to our sources Piskun’s trip to Donetsk on Wednesday to attend the Ukrainian cup final with Yanukovich, alarmed Yushchenko and caused him to dismiss Piskun. Yushchenko said that because Piskun had not formally resigned his seat in the Rada within 20 days of taking up his post (as required by the constitution) he was forced to fire him. However, this is a bit of a legal grey area as the President dismissed the Rada before appointing Piskun. The coalition’s move to involve the police in Ukraine’s political crisis just when a agreement on an election date seemed eminent, is certainly a concerning precedent but calls by several politicians from both sides to return to the negotiating table and start from scratch suggest that cooler heads will prevail. In an address to the nation broadcast on TV last night Yushchenko said that he was disappointed that no agreement on a date for elections had been signed and said that those who ordered the police to seize the Prosecutor’s Office would be held criminally responsible. Yushchenko is scheduled to meet with Yanukovich this morning.  Follow this link to view local TV footage of the seizure: http://www.pravda.com.ua/files/_News_File_show_file_35.avi?__query_for_vi=true&sid=f24e2d8f-c565-419c-ba99-ae094db6b899