Ukraine's Yushchenko pitches proposal for overhaul of constitution

Kiev - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on Tuesday proposed a massive overhaul of the country's constitution, an idea rejected almost immediately by opposition leaders. The proposal includes making Parliament bicameral, with a national assembly of short-term members of parliament (MPs) responsible for day-to-day legislation, particularly fiscal policy. A long-serving senate would be responsible for most official appointments of, among others, judges and ministers. Yushchenko explained that the president would retain the right to veto legislation, as well as appointment authority for security- related agencies such as the Foreign Ministry, the army, the national intelligence service, and the prosecutor general. Another key change would allow law enforcers to prosecute MPs for criminal offences, although MPs could only be arrested and tried by a majority of their peers, he said. The constitutional amendments should be put to Ukrainian voters in a special nationwide referendum otherwise the country would be unable to deal with an ongoing economic crisis, Yushchenko argued. Viktor Yanukovich, leader of the country's largest political party Regions Ukraine was quick to scoff at Yushchenko's proposals, calling them 'the last words ... of a president on the way out.' Regions and its allies control a solid majority in parliament, and have previously also rejected the idea of any change to the constitution. Yushchenko's term ends in January 2010. The leader of Ukraine's 2004 pro-democracy Orange Revolution, in recent years Yushchenko has become increasingly marginalized as his former allies have undermined presidential power in favour of parliament.