The leaders of Crimea's legislature have snubbed a ban by the Ukrainian Constitutional Court on Sunday's planned referendum in Crimea.
“The Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of
Crimea has repeatedly stated that Ukraine has experienced an
anti-constitutional coup as result of which the Constitution of Ukraine
and the rights and freedoms on its citizens have been trampled, and the
activities of the supreme state bodies of authority have broken
constitutional and legal limits. The so-called Constitutional Court of
Ukraine that was hastily formed on March 13, 2014, was prompt to issue a
ruling on March 14 on the local referendum in the Autonomous Republic
of Crimea – a ruling of questionable legality that ran against a
procedure established by the internal regulations of the court itself,”
the Presidium said in a statement as reported by the Supreme Council
press center.
“In this connection, we want to mention that, under Article 5 of the
Constitution of Ukraine, the people are the vehicle of sovereignty and
the sole source of authority in Ukraine. No one can usurp state
authority. The authority of the people is primary, exclusive and
inalienable. The people express their will via elections, referendums,
and other forms of grassroots democracy. That means that any action by
the state, any of its bodies, or any official that represents the
usurpation of what is the exclusive authority of the people is
unconstitutional and illegal,” the Presidium said.
The Presidium also pointed out that Constitutional Court ruling No.
4rp/2001 of April 19, 2001, confirmed that the constitution is directly
enforceable, namely that no auxiliary legislation is needed to apply it.
For this reason, the Supreme Council “as a legitimate body on the
territory of the autonomous region has made a decision, within the
limits of its powers and taking responsibility for the future of the
Crimeans, to hold a pan-Crimean referendum,” the Presidium said.
“The Presidium of the Supreme Council of Autonomous Republic of
Crimea hereby asserts that the decision of the Crimean parliament on a
pan-Crimean referendum is legitimate and calls upon the Crimeans to
exercise their inalienable constitutional right to free statement of
their will through the referendum,” it said.
The Ukrainian parliament voted on Saturday to dissolve the Supreme
Council. The dissolution motion was supported by 278 of the 296 deputies
who were registered as present at the session that carried it.
