Ruling coalition in Rada remains without its radical coordinator

Leader of Ukraine’s Radical Party Oleh Lyashko has stepped down as the coordinator of the Coalition Council. Lyashko informed the parliamentarians of his decision at the plenary meeting of the Supreme Rada on April 21.

“I refuse to participate in this farce. I am officially stepping down as coordinator of the Coalition that deceives the people,” the chief radical parliamentarian said during discussion of amendments to the law of the prosecutor’s office.

The Radical Party and “Samopomich” (Self-Reliance) Party have opposed the law slamming their colleagues in the coalition for supporting the president’s efforts to maintain the Stalin-style prosecutor’s supervision.

Lyashko blames the coalition for promoting the laws that look to “restore Yanukovych’s regime:” “Some people in the coalition are caring for their interests only and recreating the criminal, dictatorship and corrupt schemes at the prosecutor’s office and courts! Look at how they vote for the laws on the prosecutor’s office,” he said.

Afterwards, the parliamentarians categorically refused to vote for the other bills and Speaker Volodymyr Hroysman had to close the meeting ahead of time.

The coalition factions are Petro Poroshenko’s Bloc, People’s Front, “Samopomich,” “Batkivshchyna”, and Radical Party of Oleh Lyashko.