Open appeal of citizens to politicians regarding the cancellation of local elections: \n \nOn February 16, 2010, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, acting contrary to the Constitution, canceled the regular elections of deputies of local councils and village, settlement, and city mayors, which it itself had scheduled for May 30, 2010, and with only three months remaining until them. \n \nWhereas item 30 of Article 85 of the Constitution does not grant state authorities the power to cancel (annul) already scheduled elections to local self-government bodies, but grants only the right to schedule them. \n \nA similar violation has already occurred, when in June 2009 the Constitutional Court recognized as unlawful the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of March 3, 2009, by which deputies attempted to cancel already scheduled elections to the Ternopil Regional Council. \n \nThe decision of the Constitutional Court clearly stated: "The timing of elections is an important institution guaranteeing the realization of citizens' electoral rights. Cancellation of elections to local self-government bodies or postponement of their timing on grounds not provided for by law is a violation of these citizens' rights." \n \nAccording to Article 150 of the Constitution of Ukraine, decisions adopted by the Constitutional Court "are binding for execution on the territory of Ukraine, final, and cannot be appealed." Nevertheless, deputy Yu. Karmazin submitted it for discussion, 250 deputies voted "for," and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Volodymyr Lytvyn, knowingly signed a Resolution that contradicts the decision of the Constitutional Court. All these so-called "statesmen" violated the Oath of a People's Deputy of Ukraine, which states: "to abide by the Constitution of Ukraine and the laws of Ukraine, to perform their duties in the interests of all fellow citizens." \n \nThus, the people's deputies, for the second time attempting to cancel already scheduled elections to local self-government bodies, have proven that they are not knowledgeable in Ukrainian legislation, that is, they are professionally unfit to perform the duties of members of the legislative body of the state of Ukraine. Moreover, the repeated attempt to disregard one of the basic rights of citizens guaranteed by the Constitution — namely the right to vote — is proof that the Verkhovna Rada elected by us is knowingly acting contrary to our civil rights and the interests of territorial communities. \n \nThe local authorities formed in 2006 by elections under closed party lists have long turned into party-corruption organized criminal groups whose only interest is the blatant looting of the property of territorial communities entrusted to them. Removing these people from power has become a matter of survival for many cities and regions. But their local corporate interests are shared with the all-Ukrainian corporate interests of the large party clans represented in the Verkhovna Rada, and are lobbied by them from above. \n \nIt is precisely the unwillingness to lose influence locally that is common to parties of all colors, and it is precisely this that united in this vote deputies from factions seemingly different in their declared worldview. All ideological differences each time prove to be secondary as soon as it comes to their own clan interests. Defending these interests, the "people's representatives" undertake to decide who and when it is profitable to hold elections, thereby putting at risk the very foundations of the democratic system based on electoral rights. \n \nThe attempt to justify the postponement of local elections for an indefinite term by the fact that the state budget for the current year has still not been adopted does not withstand any criticism. After all, the second round of the presidential elections also took place without an approved budget, but the Party of Regions, confident in the victory of its candidate, had no objections whatsoever to holding it. And immediately, without even waiting for the newly elected President to take office, deputies from this party, acting in agreement with the remaining factions, are trying to deprive both voters and candidates for local councils of their lawful electoral rights. \n \nThis is yet another proof of the professional unfitness of the Verkhovna Rada, which uses the result of its own inaction as a basis for trampling on the Constitution and the interests of the community. Guided by such a dubious argument, one can delay the adoption of the budget for any period whatsoever, while at the same time leaving in place city authorities that are by that time already illegitimate. The conservation of power is a step toward political collapse, which can easily lead Ukraine from a still imperfect democracy to a party-clan dictatorship. \n \n \nTherefore, we, the citizens of Ukraine who have signed below, \n \ndemand \n\nfrom the winner of the presidential elections, Viktor Yanukovych, head of the Party of Regions: \n\nnot to begin his presidential term with a devastating blow to the democratic principles of building the state and to Ukraine's international image — to conduct effective explanatory work with the deputies of his faction regarding their observance of the Oath of a People's Deputy; \n\nfrom the people's deputies who did NOT vote for the aforementioned Resolution or voted against it; \n\nfrom the incumbent President Viktor Yushchenko: \n\nURGENTLY to send to the Constitutional Court a submission on recognizing as unconstitutional the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of February 16, 2010 "On recognizing as having lost effect the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine 'On scheduling the regular elections of deputies of local councils and village, settlement, and city mayors in 2010'". \n\nIn a critical situation, we reserve for ourselves the right guaranteed by the Constitution to use the levers of direct democracy for the purpose of preserving democratic foundations and civil freedoms in the state. \n\n----- \n\nYou can sign the corresponding petition here: