Constitutional Court backs pro-Yanukovych coalition

Ukraine’s Constitutional Court ruled yesterday to allow parliamentary coalitions formed of individual lawmakers, vs. only parliamentary parties. The pro-presidential “Stability and Reform” coalition was approved by a vote of 235 on March 11 by Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, and included the Party of Regions, Lytvyn Bloc and Communist Party – as well as individual MPs from the Tymoshenko and Our Ukraine Blocs in order to muster a majority. Constitutional Court judges’ vote was 11-7, in apparent direct contradiction to the same court’s ruling in September 2008. Brad Wells: Yesterday’s ruling by the Constitutional Court unabashedly rubber stamps the current coalition, giving it the legitimacy it badly needed. Most importantly, it leaves the presidential office, Cabinet of Ministers and parliament controlled by the pro-presidential Party of Regions, giving them the ability to push their own agenda and reforms, which we view as an unequivocal positive. However, we note that the ruling, which justifies the power grab in direct contradiction of its previous ruling, further taints the legal system in the eyes of the public and should add fuel to the opposition.