ychailo Wynnyckyj <https://www.facebook.com/mychailo.wynnyckyj>
Justice Zaitsev of the High Administrative Court of Ukraine just closed
the case brought forward by Volodymyr Olentsevych which questioned the
legality of the resolutions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed on
Feb 22 and 23 (regarding the stripping of powers from President
Yanukovych and appointment of Speaker Turchynov as Acting President).
Had the court ruled otherwise, the legitimacy of the current Kyiv
government (specifically of the status of acting President Turchynov as
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine) would have been put
into question.
Immediately after the court ruling, Mr. Olentsevych was quoted as saying
that he continues to believe Viktor Yanukovych to be the legitimate
President of Ukraine, and that all laws passed by the Verkhovna Rada
should be forwarded to Yanukovych in Rostov-on-Don (Russia) for
signature. However, Mr. Olentsevych will not be appealing the decision
of the High Administrative Court.
Personally, I am very much relieved by this ruling. The Kremlin and its
allies in Ukraine (Medvedchuk and Co.) seem to have been foiled in their
plans to generate a legal case for a Russian invasion - i.e. to
reinstate the "legitimate" President. I have no doubt that Mr. Putin
will continue to try to provoke unrest in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk and
other eastern Ukrainian cities in order to undermine the post-Yanukovych
government in Kyiv. But this will now be part of a long term Russian
strategy. It may yet result in the creation of an excuse to invade, but
not immediately.
Putin seems to have blinked. Thank God!
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