KYIV. Feb 24 (Interfax) - Ukraine's parliament on Saturday accused President Viktor Yanukovych of shirking his duties and set the next presidential election for May 25.
"In view of the fact that the president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, has deliberately ceased to exercise his constitutional powers, which endangers the controllability of the nation and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and poses a threat of mass violations of the rights and freedoms of citizens, the Verkhovna Rada [parliament] of Ukraine, due to circumstances of dire necessity and expressing the will of the Ukrainian people, hereby decrees the following: the president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, has deliberately ceased to exercise his constitutional powers and fails to fulfill his duties; secondly, an early election for the office of president of Ukraine shall be held on May 25, 2014," the legislature said in a resolution as read out by parliament chairman Oleksandr Turchynov.