Oct 19, 2009, 11:36 GMT
Kiev - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on Monday challenged his government's Euro 2012 spending plan, saying financing legislation recently approved by parliament to pay for the event was unconstitutional.
A brief sent by Yushchenko to the Ukraine's supreme court argued a recent government emergency funding bill planning substantial increases in Euro 2012 funding violated national government budgetary rules.
Ukraine's Parliament, the Verhovna Rada, in September overrode a Yushchenko veto to order funding for Euro 2012 to come directly from National bank of Ukraine (NBU) via additional currency creation, rather than from tax collections.
The law if carried out would provide to Ukrainian government agencies responsible for preparing Euro 2012 support infrastructure a total 1.21 billion dollars with payouts starting October 15, and ending December 10.
The Parliament plan to fund Euro 2012 by bypassing the executive branch's tax collection system, and ordering the NBU to print money 'violates constitutional statute...poses a severe inflation risk...and constitutes a direct threat to the welfare of Ukrainians,' Yushchenko said, according to an Interfax news agency report.
Presidential briefs on constitutional issues sent to Ukraine's supreme court have in the past almost always resulted in a stay in the law's taking effect, pending a court case review.
A majority of justices were appointed since Yushchenko took office in 2004.
European football's ruling body UEFA in April 2007 named Ukraine and Poland as co-hosts for the Euro 2012 football championship. Since then Ukraine has struggled to get ready, with funding shortages and bureaucratic infighting dogging the Ukrainian preparation effort.
Ukraine could lose some or all of its hosting rights, if it failed to develop sports and tourism infrastructure meeting UEFA terms, UEFA head Michel Platini said in July.
The formal UEFA review of Ukraine's readiness as a Euro 2012 host country is scheduled for November.
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