International Reaction On Ukraine's Constitutional Reform Cancellation Comes Quiet

KYIV, October 5, 2010 - After Ukraine's Constitutional Court had cancelled the
Constitutional amendments of 2004, several senior officials, judicial and
constitutional experts from the European Union and the United States
expressed their reaction to the changes. Some have also given their forecast
of Ukraine's relations with the EU.

Stefan Fuele, EU Enlargement Commissioner: "I underlined that
despite the ruling of the constitutional court, a broader constitutional
reform is still a matter of priority. And thus we made a point that such a
reform should be brought through an inclusive process to bring about
effective and lasting system of the checks and balances in accordance with
the European values. And I was very pleased to hear that President Yanukovych
indeed intends to start such a process of constitutional reform on the basis
of the 1996 Constitution taking into account also the expertise and advice of
the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe."

Javier Solana, Secretary General of the Council of the
European Union (1999-2009): "The decision of the court is for Ukrainians to
guide themselves according to the law, and I don't think that any particular
model or structure of the country has better relationship to Europe or not.
Both models exist, the important thing is to do it properly".

Professor Sergio Bartole, Member of the Venice Commission:
"The decision of the Constitutional Court does not regard the content of the
reform of 2004, but only the procedure. But in any case, even if the judgment
of the Constitutional Court is restricted to the procedural aspect of the
reform of 2004, we have to appreciate the fact that the constitution of 1996
will take place without the provisions of 2004. And Venice Commission
criticized seriously many provisions of the reform of 2004".

Bohdan Futei, Judge of the US Federal Claims Court: "I believe
that if there are any Constitutional amendments to be introduced, they have
to be adopted in compliance with the Constitution. In my opinion, which I
expressed from the very beginning, the amendments of 2004 were adopted
incorrectly. The main breach of the procedure was that the amendments
changing the political system in the country had to be voted on a referendum,
which did not take place in 2004"

For more information, please contact Natalya Shulevskaya, +380633776645, news at wnu-ukraine.com, Project Manager at Worldwide News Ukraine