Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych should be impeached for signing an agreement extending Russian naval presence in the Crimea for 25 years after 2017, because it contradicts the Ukrainian Constitution, a statement by pro-western Ukrainian Viktor Yushchenko's party said on Wednesday.
The agreement has already been met very negatively by the Ukrainian opposition.
"A president, who has violated the norms of the Ukrainian Constitution...should be impeached," a statement published by Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party said on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych signed an agreement on terms of the Russian Black Sea Fleet presence in Ukraine's Crimea on the Black Sea to be prolonged for 25 years after 2017, when the current lease is due to expire. Under the new agreement, the lease on the Sevastopol base may be further extended by another five years after 2047.
"I want to draw attention to the fact that an article of the Ukrainian Constitution strictly forbids the creation and operation of any [foreign] military bases on Ukrainian territory not envisaged by law," Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, who narrowly lost to Yanukovych during the February presidential elections, said.
Tymoshenko said her political bloc would try to initiate an extraordinary parliamentary session on Saturday. The Signatures of 150 parliament members are needed to start an extraordinary session.
Tymoshenko also pledged to introduce into consideration a project repealing the documents extending the Russian Naval Base presence in Ukraine. She called on Ukrainians to come to Kiev on Saturday to support the opposition leaders fighting against the extension of the Russian Navy presence in the country.
KIEV, April 21 (RIA Novosti)
