KIEV, April 29 (RIA Novosti) – Interim Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk on Tuesday called on all political forces in the country to agree on measures for constitutional reform ahead of the upcoming May 25 presidential election.
"The government appeals to all political forces to sign and agree the text of the new Constitution of Ukraine by May 25," Yatsenyuk said in an address to parliament.
Yatsenyuk added that the proposed constitution should then be sent for examination by the country’s Constitutional Court and the Venice Commission, the European Commission’s advisory body on constitutional law.
On Tuesday, Ukraine's parliament held public hearings on amendments to the Constitution. The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine discussed the referendum and decentralization of power in a closed session on Monday, according to media reports.
Federalization supporters in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Gorlovka, Slaviansk and Kramatorsk have refused to recognize the legitimacy of the current Ukrainian government and are urging interim authorities to hold referendums similar to the one held in Crimea last month, which led to the republic’s reunification with Russia. In early April protesters in the city of Donetsk seized buldings of local government and proclaimed creation of People’s Republic of Donetsk. They appointed a referendum on self-determination of Donbass on May 11.
