Government can’t give half a billion to satisfy somebody’s whims – Tymoshenko

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine asks President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko to cancel his decree on the snap poll.

According to an UNIAN correspondent, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko clamed this today at the extraordinary session of government, commenting on the today’s decision of government not to allocate financing for the snap poll from the reserve fund.

“The third provision of the government’s decision reads: to turn to the President with a proposal to cancel his decree on the snap poll in order to guarantee preparation and adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of a package of legislative acts, to prevent influence of the world financial crisis on the Ukrainian economics”, Yulia Tymoshenko said.

According to her, the government’s decision stresses that, in line with articles 48 and 49 of the law on parliamentary election, an election campaign is financed only at the expense of budget. The financing is separately stipulated in the state budget on submission of the Central Electoral Commission.

“The government, with its decision, explained that an election campaign can’t be financed from the reserve fund as it directly contradicts the law. Besides, the reserve fund is aimed at overcoming emergencies, and to spend half a billion to satisfy somebody’s whims – without any doubt, the government can’t do that”, she pointed out.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Verkhovna Rada already adopted law on increasing the reserve fund to 1.9 billion hryvnias to liquidate consequences of the flood in the western Ukraine.

“As of today, all these money have been assigned, and the only reserve was left for the country to live with confidence and be protected from any unexpected developments. To give these money for the snap poll – it would be an absolutely irresponsible governmental policy”, Yulia Tymoshenko said.