16 November 2009, 18:50
Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, stresses that the President of Ukraine has a Constitutional Right to propose any Candidate for Minister of Defence
V. Lytvyn reminded that according to the principal Law, the Head of the State "is fully responsible" for the spheres of the foreign policy and defense, hence, the President´s nomination of Yuriy Ekhanurov to the office of the Minister of Defence "shall be perceived as a Constitutional reality", as the President "has a constitutional right to determine who is supposed to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defence of Ukraine."
The Leader of the Parliament also declared that he saw no grounds for the outburst of political activity in case the President of Ukraine makes such a nomination, as "any faction and any deputy will have a possibility to express their own stand by voting." According to V.Lytvyn, if Yu. Ekhanurov is nominated for the Minister, the Verkhovna Rada "is obliged to adopt a corresponding resolution" and "clarify its position regarding the personnel initiatives of the President."