Lyapina to blow whistle on IMF mission head for allegedly blessing cabinet’s decisions to by-pass Verkhovna Rada

According to her, no one has seen the cabinet resolutions. “I have a suspicion that even the ministers have not seen the documents they voted for. These resolutions are definitely illegal as the cabinet has no authority to set the size of pension fund payments. It is the authority of Verkhovna Rada alone. Therefore, the resolutions run counter to the laws on the cabinet, on pension insurance and the constitution,” she claims.

Lyapina says lawsuits against the cabinet from entrepreneurs will follow and the resolutions will be eventually cancelled by the cabinet.

By her presence at the cabinet session, IMF mission in Ukraine head Ceyla Pasarbasioglu actually blessed the illegal cabinet decisions. “We are sending a memo to the IMF, we will warn them that this is not the way to behave in a country which intends to be law-abiding. The IMF cooperates with Ukraine not for the purpose of blessing unconstitutional decisions by the cabinet,” she sated.

By passing appropriate resolutions, the Ukrainian cabinet did all it takes to restore Naftohaz Ukrayiny’s and Pension Fund’s financial balance, Ceyla Pasarbasiolu told journalists on the heels of the crucial cabinet meeting she attended.

The IMF mission head also said she will discuss in detail the resolutions with the cabinet. “I cannot comment on the detailed content of the resolutions. We will discuss them with government representatives,” the IMF official said.

Addressing a press conference in the wake of the cabinet meeting Apr. 14, Yulia Tymoshenko said the cabinet won’t table again the bills balancing Naftohaz and Pension Fund budgets.

“We have found legal ways to regulate Naftohaz and Pension Fund budgets,” the premier said.

Tymoshenko stressed that the cabinet had unanimously supported such measures as cuts in the budget (save for social spendings), raising tariffs for gas and electricity for customers residing in large apartments as well as balancing the Naftohaz and Pension Fund budgets.