President can't impose state of emergency without parliamentary approval, say political experts

Kyiv, February 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – President of Ukraine Viktor Yuschenko cannot impose a state of emergency in the country at his own will, experts have said.

"A state of emergency can't be imposed without a reason and parliamentary agreement," Political and Law Programs Director of yhe Rozumkov Ukrainian Center of Economic and Political Research Yuriy Yakymenko said on Friday at Interfax-Ukraine agency during a press conference entitled "The results of the political week as seen by experts."

He said that according to the law on the state of emergency, it can be imposed in the cases of constitutional violations, and mass disorder followed by civil rights abuse.

Such a state is imposed under a presidential resolution, which is to be approved by the parliament in two days after its publication.

"I think that this issue [Yuschenko imposing state of emergency to cancel early elections] is being raised for political reasons," the expert said.